Finding Family
by Windblown Wallflower
Summary: Harry Potter isn't paranoid at least he doesn't think so, unfortunately, the Minister disagrees and has decided to send him on a vacation. Where to? New York.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**A/N:** This is the thoroughly revised version of chapter one. I must say I was astonished at how dreadful the first five chapters were after looking through them. This new version should be a lot clearer and an easier read. Since I'm not as familiar with wasp or ant-man I've decided to let them go for the time being though I might add them back in later. I'm keeping Wolverine mostly because he will help throw off the team dynamic and he has a connection to the X-men.

I realize that there have been several changes made which will become more prominent in the following chapters. I've also pulled back on the OCs slightly. While Incipiens is still important for the most part he will be used mostly as a catalyst for plot purposes and he and Harry will not know each other well. Wyatt will still play a major role and I might cameo another OC but that will be about it. There will be several new names this is mostly because I have killed almost all the named canon characters. I have also slightly changed when this takes place in the movie-verse instead being set at some point after Thanatos defeat this will be set after the Avengers. Fair warning Incipiens has undergone radical changes and been thoroughly bastardized.

**Please Review and let me know what you think. **

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Harry sat in the Minister's office and prepared himself for the inevitable incoming lecture. He did not particularly look forward to explaining to the Minister why the Head Auror's office now had a rather large hole in the wall or the five slightly banged up aurors. In his defense how was he supposed to know they were throwing him a surprise party when it wasn't even his birthday. Despite the war being over Harry still found himself constantly on edge which often resulted in a trip to St. Mungos for whatever unlucky soul managed to surprise him.

With the war over things were still very much in chaos, especially in the Ministry. This was not surprising given how many corrupt officials there had been, not to mention they had gone through at least five ministers in just under two years. They'd had Fudge who was an idiot, Scrimgeour who was just as bad, Thicknesse who was imperiused, Kingsley who'd been killed, and Dawlish who had been a stand-in. In the end Neo Incipiens had been elected, as he was the most capable candidate, and the only one willing to run. Immediately following his election Incipiens started cleaning house by getting rid of any influences the remaining Death Eaters had in the Ministry.

Pulling back to the present for a moment Harry thought over the events which had led to his current predicament. He had received a note earlier that morning informing him that he was to be at the Head Auror's office in an hour. He had been rather surprised because there was no reason for the Head Auror to want to see him. His aspirations to become an auror had dampened slightly in the aftermath of the war and he had postponed his enrollment into the Auror Academy. Not to mention he was still technically underage as his seventeenth birthday had yet to happen.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled him from his thoughts and he was immediately alert. Harry glanced at the door warily with his wand at the ready. He knew that he was being slightly paranoid, and he had Moody to thank for pounding 'Constant Vigilance' into his head. He relaxed slightly when the door was opened by a harassed looking Incipiens. He discretely put his wand back into the invisible holster on his arm.

"Hello Minister." said Harry. He had not yet interacted much with the current Minister but he figured it would be best to start things off polite. This was mostly based on the fact that aside from Kingsley he had nearly come to blows with each of the Ministers he had met.

"Yes I do but that is beside the point at the moment," replied Incipiens, "as we have slightly more important matters to discuss."

"Right, I'm sorry about the office. It wasn't even my fault this time after all they just jumped out of nowhere." Harry mumbled.

"Yes, well this is just another in a long list of…incidents. If you keep this up we won't have an Auror Department anymore as they will all be in St. Mungos." Incipiens said with exasperation.

"I know that but most of these incidents weren't even my fault." replied Harry who was just as exasperated as Incipiens. It wasn't as if he was going around jinxing people for the fun of it, besides these people were aurors, they should know better.

"Yes, the invitation you received was meant for Harry Parsons, however that does not excuse the fact that this behavior has become a pattern. Half of the auror department is still in St. Mungos from last month's fiasco. And I have a giant stack of paperwork dedicated to all your accidents from the last month alone. I realize that things haven't been easy for you but things cannot continue in this manner" said Incipiens who finished his rant then smirked slightly adding, "I believe that I have a solution that will work for both of us."

"What is it?" asked Harry warily.

"Well even though Voldemort is dead there are, as you know a few Death Eaters still on the loose. I imagine that this has made life rather stressful and I believe a change in scenery would do you some good." answered Incipiens with a benign smile. The smile made Harry even warier than the smirk as Harry was reminded of the late Albus Dumbledore. He may have forgiven the man but the old coot had caused him a good amount of grief with his schemes.

"I have made arrangements for a vacation of sorts with some contacts of mine. I think a change of scenery will do you some good." Added Incipiens, whose eyes were now twinkling in a manner eerily reminiscent of his old headmaster.

Harry stiffened instantly alert, he regarded Incipiens with wariness. He knew what Incipiens was hinting at and something told him he wasn't going to like these arrangements. He'd learned the hard way to listen to his instincts at times like this so he decided to decline Incipience's offer, politely of course. He didn't exactly want to make an enemy of the new Minister so quickly.

"Thank you sir, but I don't think that those arrangements will be necessary." said Harry.

"Well that's too bad because that wasn't really a suggestion. I was hoping that you would be more agreeable. No matter you are going Harry. Now you can make the most of it and get a nice vacation out of it or not the choice is up to you." replied Incipiens firmly. He shifted in his seat and his position became more imposing.

"I believe it is my choice Minister" said Harry firmly. His eyes narrowed at the Minister at the thinly veiled threat in the man's words and body language. He was not the least bit intimidated by the man; after all he had dealt with worse.

"I can actually, seeing as you are not yet at the age of full maturity. I have already contacted your guardians the Dursleys _charming_ family," said Incipiens disdainfully, "and they have agreed to sign over your custody, so until your seventeenth birthday you belong to the Ministry."

"I was emancipated the summer before my fifth year, the Dursleys have already given away my custody." said Harry through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you were emancipated, or rather Dumbledore filed for your emancipation shortly before his death, however those documents were signed under extenuating circumstances and with the understanding that the emancipation was only temporary" replied Incipiens calmly, "If you had filed for a renewal or a full emancipation this would not be the case. You can always make an appeal to the Wizengamot of course but as I have said the circumstances under which you were granted emancipation were quite different then."

Harry was quickly losing his temper with Incipiens and the ministry in general. As far as the Ministry was concerned he was a tool, the only reason he had been granted his freedom was to stop Voldemort. If they hadn't needed them to kill Voldy, then he would have spent his summer rotting at the Dursleys. He realized though that was nothing he could do as he looked at Incipiens' smug expression, but that did not mean he was going to go down without a fight.

"As you wish Minister just remember I will be of age in six months and I will no longer be a ward of the Ministry. That is assuming you can hold onto your position for that long." said Harry his voice frigid.

"Do not worry about that Potter I believe my position is quite secure" replied Incipiens with a smirk.

"Tell that to Fudge" responded Harry.

"Now it seems we have travel plans to make don't worry I've contacted some people and everything has been taken care of. I expect you to be prepared to leave by the end of the week" said Incipiens.

"Do I get to know where I'm going or are you just going to dump me in the middle of a desert?" asked Harry wryly.

"I've set something up with a couple friends in America, though there are a few extra preparations that have been made on our end. There are a few things that need to be straightened out of course. We must make sure the press doesn't get wind of this. There are also several things you will need to be informed of course as America has a very different way of thinking."

"That's great so what is it you want me to do exactly?" asked Harry tiredly, his exasperation overriding his temper.

"That's the spirit. Well I have a few files for you to read before your trip as well as a couple items which will enable you to hide your magic." answered Incipiens

"Hide my magic!? You're sending me someplace muggle!" cried Harry.

"Yes" replied Incipiens, "I think it best for you to get away from the magical world for a while. We can draw the remaining Death Eaters out of hiding while you're away and I won't have to worry about the atrium being blown up again."

"How do you intend to draw them out? It's been three months since the Final Battle and several of the inner ring members are still out there. What makes you think shipping me out of the country will help you catch them?" demanded Harry

"With you out of the country the Death Eaters will be lured into a sense of false sense of security. They see you as a threat and a target. They are lying low because the attempts to kill you failed." answered Incipiens.

"I fail to see the brilliance of your plan. The current auror department could hardly catch dragon pox let alone Fenrir Greyback. Most of them are fresh out of training." said Harry.

"Yes, the War took its toll on everyone and the Auror Department suffered most of the losses." answered Incipiens.

"I understand which is exactly why I shouldn't leave. They don't stand a chance against Fenrir or Bellatrix." said Harry.

"Perhaps, but your desire to fight Death Eaters is questionable. You are not an Auror nor are you even of age yet. You continue to fight and often volunteer to join the Auror Corps on raids. For what reason do you continue to fight the Death Eaters? I doubt that it is sorely for the altruistic reasons that you claim, perhaps it is a misguided attempt at revenge for those who died by their hand? Your friends, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger…" said Incipiens calmly.

"DON"T BRING THEM INTO THIS!" snarled Harry, finally losing control of his temper. His friends were a bit of a sore spot and he didn't appreciate Incipiens using them against him.

"You are upset, understandably of course and obviously in an emotionally unstable state" said Incipiens who was now eyeing Harry warily as objects around the room started to shake, "perhaps we should continue this discussion later, I have a meeting with the new Department of Magical Law Enforcement Head. How about I let my secretary escort you to the atrium?"

Harry took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself as Incipiens wrote a short note and sent it away with a flick of his wand. Harry started slightly when a harried looking woman who looked only a few years younger than Incipiens rushed into the office with a trail of papers flying behind her. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and her square-rimmed glasses were perched precariously on her nose. Harry noted that her eyes were a light blue behind the glasses and her wand was stuck behind her ear, reminding him slightly of Luna. Though unlike Luna, the woman seemed to have put her wand there in haste rather than on purpose.

"What?" she snapped at Incipiens completely ignoring Harry's presence.

"Hello Miss Scitus, I was hoping you would escort…" started Incipiens, but he was cut off by an irritated huff from his secretary.

"Neo I don't really care who you've pissed off this time but I'm tempted to just let them hex you. The government doesn't run itself you know and I was in the middle of filing some very important paperwork that was supposed to be filed last week. I also had to finish reading over some documents that the Bulgarians sent over concerning the next ICW meeting. So I have slightly more important things to do than rescue you because you are an abrasive manipulative bastard who has once again managed to piss somebody else off. Sometimes I wonder why I even work for you the pay is not even all that great really." ranted Miss Scitus glaring at Incipiens.

"Now, Dawn…" said Incipiens who was once again cutoff by his secretary. Harry felt his anger be replaced by amusement as he watched both of them.

"Oh don't Dawn me, you only use that when you want something. I don't know why I put up with you. Oh hello." said Dawn finally spotting Harry in the corner and pushing her glasses back onto her nose. Harry was impressed when she turned to glare at Incipiens harder instead of gaping at him as most people did now.

"Harry Potter, really Neo, do you have any sense at all?" hissed Dawn before she spun away from him and turned towards Harry, "Hello Mr. Potter please let me show you out, I was just leaving anyways."

A bemused Harry strolled out the room on Dawn's heels. He found it easy to keep up with her brisk pace as she marched towards the lifts. He could tell that Dawn knew the Minister well but he was rather surprised at her blatant disapproval of his actions which surprised him slightly.

"I would say his new position is getting to him but he's always been that way. Now I'll just drop you at the nearest apparition point, as I'm assuming that you apparated in. I have several matters to attend to as the Undersecretary though everyone addresses me as the Deputy Minister." said Dawn.

"Thank you" replied Harry with a smile.

"It's no problem I don't really agree with his methods but he has taken your interests into account. I know that probably doesn't count for much but he is trying to do the right thing" added Dawn, "Well, have a good day Mr. Potter, and for what it's worth I hope you have a pleasant vacation. Well I believe this is your stop."

Harry watched with amusement as she turned away from him and promptly started walking back towards the lifts. He needed to go home and sort through everything that had just happened. His brain was starting to feel as if it had been tied in a knot from everything that had happened in the past few hours. Perhaps he would start packing then again maybe not, he wasn't going to make it too easy for the Minister.

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**A/N:** Deleted the prologue because it wasn't necessary with the second chapter also because of nastily worded guest review they made an excellent point but they could have been a good deal less of a bastard about it. I hope you read that Ms./Mr. Guest unless you decide not to because this is also an AN. Also I know I have rather long ANs which are just me rambling as well as answering any question I think might crop up in an effort to be proactive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**Warning:** Some cussing because Tony, Clint, and Logan have potty mouths. Not to mention crude language in general.

**A/N:** Also I was kind of in two minds about the repost I didn't want to mix the old and the new because then nothing would make sense and I didn't want anyone to have to wait any longer so I just deleted everything and started over perhaps this was not the best method. I had a review because I pulled the story down while someone was in the middle of rereading the story (sorry librarycat9). To be fair though I could hardly stand to read this story once, let alone twice; hence the rewrites. So I have reposted the old chapters under _Finding Family original_. This can also be read as an alternate start because even though I have changed some things the story is still fundamentally the same so it should still work. The only differences will be Neo and all the background info as I have changed how the Final Battle went some people who died in the last version didn't in this one.

There is a minor time skip between this chapter and the last one but the important bits will be covered in flashbacks also Harry's past has been altered slightly which will also be addressed in flashbacks. Also this story will be told in multiple POV because I found it was too complicated to try and tell it from a 3rd person omniscient POV. For the most part this story will be told from Harry's perspective though I will label changes. All POVS will be done from a 3rd person perspective. Also sorry if the airport terms are not entirely accurate I had to secondhand all my knowledge as I've only ever been on a plane once and that was a long time ago

I realize I have made some radical changes in the storyline but I know have an actual idea where I'm going with this story. I am keeping Wasp and Ant-man after all as they are going to play an important part in future chapters; however I have changed it so they will be introduced with a backstory. Also which do you guys prefer short chapters with faster updates or longer chapters with slower updates? (for when I get to the actual chapters as the rewrites are half done)

Sorry this was late the next two chapters will be out together though I'm not exactly sure when because work has been crazy lately.

**Don't Forget to Review! Review make me write faster!**

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Harry was looking out the airplane window, watching as the plane descended onto the tarmac below. He found that the airplane, while slower than wizard methods of international travel, was far more comfortable. Plus the time in the air had given his some time to sort through his muddled thoughts. The days following his meeting with Incipiens had been chaotic at best as he was being prepared for his vacation.

Immediately after his meeting with the Minister he had immediately sent letters off to his remaining friends. Luna was in Switzerland searching for Crumple Horned Snorkacks and Fred and George were in Bolivia doing something for their joke shop (he hadn't asked for details, it was often better not to where the twins were concerned). The other few people he had notified were the remaining Order and DA members that were scattered about. Everyone had taken the news of his impending vacation well, and saying that it would be good for him. A small part of Harry agreed that a vacation might be good for him which went ignored as he was still resenting that he had been forced on vacation in the first place.

After much debate it was decided that the only necessary change to his features would be a cover up for his scar, which would stand out even in the muggle world. Since he would be in the muggle world and another country the probability of him being recognized was very low. His entire background had been fabricated (or mugglized as he preferred to call it as all they really did was replace all magical incidents with muggle ones) by the Ministry. As long as he stayed away from too much scrutiny he should be fine. He was also not allowed to use his magic unless the circumstances were dire, and to ensure this Incipiens had outfitted him with bracelets that would suppress his magic and hide it from any magically sensitive beings. Harry didn't see the point as he was highly doubted that this would be an issue as he was to be living in a muggle area. If anything his biggest issue would be the lack of anything interesting to do.

"We are on final approach." announced the pilot, "We hope you have enjoyed your trip with Northeast Airlines."

Harry watched as they landed and taxied to a stop on the runway. He fingered the moleskin pouch he wore around his neck; it was disillusioned so only he knew it was there. It had an undetectable extension charm on it like Hermione's beaded bag. He had enchanted it shortly before the end of the war. He had been surprised to later learn that it was nearly impossible to enchant anything made from moleskin, due to its unique properties. Apparently, enchanting anything from a magical creature is impossible but to Harry it was just an added tally to the impossible things he had already accomplished, much to his chagrin. In order to keep up appearances though Harry had packed a carry-on bag and two suitcases with the standard necessities. The rest of his luggage was being shipped separately from overseas.

Harry was jostled from his thoughts by a young mother dropping her luggage on his head as she attempted to quiet her wailing child. The baby was red faced as it continued to cry with his fists waving wildly in the air. She was standing in the aisle behind him and her expression was apologetic.

"Oops, I'm so sorry about that. Are you ok?" she asked with concern.

""Yeah I'm fine I've been hit things a lot harder than that" answered Harry with a rueful grin. He held out the bag to her.

"Oh well sorry again" said the woman as she grabbed the bag shooting him a grateful smile.

"No problems" said Harry.

He watched wistfully as she proceeded to disembark the plane. The young woman had been a painful reminder of everything that had been lost in the war. So many families had been torn apart because of an egotistical madman with a fear of death. He shook himself not wanting to dwell on such maudlin thoughts. Harry saw that he was one of the last remaining passengers so he stood up and removed his carry-on bags from the overhead compartments.

As soon as he was off the plane Harry looked around the terminal. He had been informed that he was to wait for his escort, and that if he made a run for it he would regret it. He saw that a few people were holding up signs with names on them but his name wasn't among them. His attention was diverted by a crowd that seemed to be gathering to his right. His curiosity getting the better of him, Harry migrated towards the crowd. As he drew closer he notice the crowd had gathered around two men.

The man on the left was taller and he was glaring at the man next to him. The shorter man had styled black hair and he was wearing dark sunglasses. The taller man had blonde hair and was dressed in casual clothes while the other man was also in casual clothes, though Harry could see they were more expensive. Harry saw both men were looking around for something. The blonde was looking around, obviously searching for something while the other man glanced around lazily. The blonde looked directly at him.

Harry could see that they were talking to each other but he couldn't hear what they were saying over the chattering crowd. He knew that they were talking about him though because they kept glancing in his direction and the shorter man pointed directly at him before the other man swatted his arm down. He watched the crowd disperse after a few words from the dark-haired man and both men walked towards him.

"Hello, are you Harry Potter?" asked the blonde who was now standing a few feet in front of Harry.

"Yes" answered Harry in an amused tone. Harry was so used to people already knowing his name it was a novelty to hear someone actually ask for it. It was a feeling that he could get used to.

"We found him. See I told you we didn't need a sign." said the man wearing sunglasses smugly.

"Fury's not going to be happy." said the blonde.

"Don't mind him he's just jealous of my awesomeness. Our ride is waiting, come on kid" said Sunglasses.

"Err are you my escorts?" asked Harry. He was slightly wary with the idea of going anywhere with a stranger and he wanted to make sure these two were the right people. It would his luck if they turned out to be disguised Death Eaters or something.

"Yes," said the blonde. He seemed to have noticed Harry's apprehension because he added, "I'm sure your stay will be brilliant. New York is a fun place with lots of interesting sights. We'll probably pass by Central Park it's a really great place."

"Yeah just magical." said Sunglasses jokingly.

Harry relaxed slightly as he recognized the code in their words that confirmed their identities. He doubted that the men even knew exactly what they just said. Though it struck him as odd because he was quite sure that the code wasn't something that Neo would do, and this was the work of a certain pair of tricksters he knew. It was something he could look into later, he would probably send them a letter. After all Neo had not forbidden him from contacting his friends, so he would write them once Hedwig arrived. He hadn't wanted to make her ride on the plane so she was flying from England on her own. He hoped she arrived soon as he missed her.

"I'm Steve Rogers" said the blonde and offering Harry his hand which Harry shook briskly.

"Skip the introductions Stars and Stripes, he doesn't need them." said Sunglasses.

"Fine then let's go." said Steve

Harry could see Steve was making an effort not to roll his eyes. Harry examined both men as they left the airport and felt the searching looks that both directed at him. He ignored this as he evaluated the men who would most likely be his 'guides' for the rest of his vacation. Neither man was what he expected though to be fair he hadn't been entirely sure what to expect.

The man Harry had temporarily dubbed Sunglasses was cocky and arrogant, and a bit of a joker. Thinking about it the man was strikingly similar to Sirius. In fact this man acted a lot like what Harry imagined that Sirius had in his prime a person that Harry had only seen pieces of because Azkaban had changed Sirius so much. Steve was different from Tony, more serious and less confident. Harry could tell that there was a lot more to both men because despite their difference both exuded the aura of fighters.

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_**Steve and Tony POV**_

Steve and Tony were making their way through the airport which was not easy as several people stopped to gawk at the two heroes. They were making their way towards the gate so they could pick the kid up when his plane landed. Steve thought they were being too conspicuous as he saw all the attention they were drawing, but Tony waved his worries aside.

"Come on let's find the kid." said Tony.

"Shouldn't we have a sign so he can see us?" asked Steve.

"Nah, see I'm drawing a crowd," said Tony motioning towards the people who were approaching them and taking pictures with their phones, "the kid will see the crowd and find us."

"I don't think we should do this Fury said we needed to be discreet." said Steve.

"No he said not to draw attention to ourselves and we aren't their giving us their attention without us asking. He only suggested that we be discreet. This would get any kid's attention." said Tony.

Steve just gave an exasperated sigh and started looking around trying to spot the boy. The crowd made it difficult to move around so he ended up swiveling his head back and forth. Next to him Tony looked around in between smiling charmingly at the crowd that swarmed around them. Steve was scanning the crowd for a third time when he saw the boy. He was standing to his right just outside of the crowd.

"I've spotted him" said Steve.

"Where?" asked Tony.

"To your right, he's standing about twenty feet away from us" responded Steve.

"Oh there?" asked Tony pointing to a kid with black hair standing just out of the crowd's range.

"Stop pointing" said Steve pulling Tony's arm down, "and yes I think that's him but we need to get closer."

"All right everybody time to go back to your regularly scheduled lives if you want autographs you can call and make an appointment with my secretary." said Tony making shooing motions with his hands.

The crowd dispersed going back to their business though a few people would turn to look at gawk at both men or take a quick picture. Tony and Steve walked towards the boy who was still standing in the same spot. He looked similar to the boy in the picture, but Steve noted there were several differences. This boy was older than the one in the picture, his face was more angular and he was slightly taller. His demeanor was quite different in the picture he seemed happy and carefree, but the boy in front of him was resigned and wary.

Tony was drawing conclusions similar to Steve's as he also examined the kid. He also noticed that the kid was wearing rather inexpensive clothes despite being loaded if the file was to be believed at any rate. The lack of information in the file grated on his nerves, he had read the entire thing back to front but there hadn't been all that much information in it. Frustrated at not having enough information Tony had hacked SHIELD's files again to try and find out more. He had been shocked to find that there was not much extra information on the kid even in SHIELDs most heavily encrypted files, though there had been some interesting things in there that he would peruse later. Well he would just go to the source and ask the kid.

"Hello, are you Harry Potter?" asked Steve. He wanted to make sure the boy in front of him was the right person though he was fairly certain this was the right boy.

"Yes" Harry answered looking slightly amused.

"We found him. See I told you we didn't need a sign" said Tony smugly.

"Fury's not going to be happy" said Steve shooting Tony a glare.

"Don't mind him he just jealous of my awesomeness. Our ride is waiting come on kid" said Tony ignoring Steve's glare.

"Err are you my escorts?" asked Harry warily. Steve could tell that he was edgy about going with them. Unlike Tony, Steve didn't take being recognized for granted and realized that Harry didn't seem to have any idea who they were.

"Yes," said Steve. He noticed that Harry still looked apprehensive so he wracked his brain for something he could say to reassure him. A few things from the file floated into his mind so he added, "I'm sure your stay will be brilliant. New York is a fun place with lots of interesting sights. We'll probably pass by Central Park it's a really great place."

"Yeah just magical" said Tony jokingly. He was also referencing something mentioned in the file.

Both men saw Harry relax slightly, and then narrow his eyes in thought before looking slightly reminiscent. Tony shrugged it off but filed the odd reaction in the back of his mind to examine later. Steve also noted the odd reaction then decided to think about it later and introduced himself.

"I'm Steve Rogers" he said holding his hand out for Harry to shake. Steve knew that people said you could tell a lot about a person from their handshake and he agreed so he was slightly surprised by Harry's handshake. It was with a brisk and with a firmness that wasn't usually found in someone so young.

"Skip the introductions Stars and Stripes, he doesn't need them" said Tony. He wanted to get back to the tower as he had a date with Pepper in a few hours and he wanted to be ready.

"Fine then let's go." said Steve forcing himself not to roll his eyes at the impatient billionaire. He knew that Tony wanted to be back early so he could spend hours preparing for a date with Pepper which was one of the only things Tony was ever on time for. He wished again that he had ended up with someone else. Though he supposed the mission had been a bit short notice.

**FLASHBACK**

**The Avengers were gathered in the Helicarrier, waiting for the meeting to start. Clint was leaning against his chair easily and drumming his fingers against the table. Natasha sat next to him her arms crossed as she glared at her partner. Bruce was slumped over in his seat, dozing lightly. Steve was sitting at attention and glancing at the clock. Thor was entertaining himself with a stapler. Logan sat in his chair scowling at Fury who stood at the head of the table. There were two extra people as well a petite woman with auburn hair sat next to a man with sandy blonde hair both looked slightly out of place.**

"**I'm here" announced Tony as he strode casually into the conference room. Most of the rooms occupants turned and glared at the billionaire. If looks could kill Tony would have been six feet under even with his armor. Studiously ignoring everyone's glares he sat at the head of the table closest with his back to the door.**

"**We can see that Stark." said Natasha dryly.**

"**Where the hell were you? We've been sitting here for forty minutes." said Clint.**

"**It's not like the world is ending or anything. I checked. Besides I was working on something important" said Tony.**

"**I have a life tin head." said Clint.**

"**Could have fooled me birdbrain." said Tony**

"**Banner why didn't you bring him with you?" asked Steve.**

"**I tried, but he insisted on finishing his project" muttered Bruce. He was now sitting in a more upright position with his head off the table.**

"**What are bumblebee and bugboy doing here?" asked Tony pointing at a petite woman with auburn hair and the man with sandy blonde hair sitting next to her.**

"**Didn't anyone teach you it's rude to point." snapped the woman, "and it's Wasp."**

"**Tony it's good to see you again, I didn't get a chance to speak with you after the last Science Conference." said the man completely unfazed by Tony's remarks.**

"**Henry you really shouldn't let him talk to you like that." said Wasp.**

"**It's all right Janet that's just how he is." said Hank.**

"**You know Tony I'm surprised this thing can still fly with your giant ego on board." said Janet**

"**Ouch! She stings." said Tony.**

"**Stark cut it out." barked Fury.**

"**Yeah quit harassing the trainees." added Clint.**

"**We're not trainees we are reserve Avengers!" interjected Janet.**

"**Technically we're not reserve members yet dear, SHIELD is still processing us I believe. So our membership is currently pending" said Hank.**

"**Can we just get to what we're here for? Some of us have better things to do" said Tony.**

"**I can't believe I'm saying this, but Stark has a point." said Natasha.**

"**See? Someone agrees with me." said Tony.**

"**Oh stuff it Stark" said Clint.**

"**Both of ya cork it you're worse than the kids." grunted Logan. Tony and Clint shot him offended looks but Fury intervened before an argument could get started.**

"**Quiet!" shouted Fury, "Now I have called you here because you have a new mission you will be guarding Harry Potter-Black and hosting him while he stays in New York. This is him."**

**He slid manila folders to each Avenger. The folders were very thin containing a picture and a few sparse documents on Harry James Potter-Black. Everyone looked through the files though some of the members were obviously surprised by the lack of information. Even more surprising though was the picture which Tony was the first to comment on.**

"**It's a kid!" exclaimed Tony. He was pointing at the photo which was slightly blurry though it was easy to tell that the person in it was young given their height and the boyish shape of his face. It was hard to tell the color of his eyes as the photo was in black and white and he was wearing circular wire-rimmed glasses. The boy was looking slightly away from the camera and appeared to be laughing at something off camera. If Tony had to guess he would say the kid wasn't older than thirteen at the most.**

"**Yes and he's also your next mission." said Fury.**

**The Avengers were staring at Nick Fury with varying expressions from disbelief to shock, though some were less obvious than others. It was silent enough that a person with average hearing would have been able to hear a pin drop which had never before happened, at least not when all the Avengers were in one room together.**

"**I'm sorry I could have just sworn you said our next assignment was a babysitting job." said Clint.**

"**Yeah I thought the Avengers were all about saving the world from real threats not some kid in a diaper" added Tony.**

"**Unfortunately things are not that simple. I sincerely doubt your capabilities to watch any child, but the British government specifically requested the Avengers and they made their request through the council, my hands are tied." replied Fury.**

"**Why the Avengers specifically?" asked Natasha.**

"**That's above your pay grade agent." responded Fury.**

"**So we're stuck babysittin' some kid?" asked Logan.**

"**Yes, and this is not just some kid, Harry James Potter-Black, holds two lordships, a knighthood, and has been awarded St. George's medal of valor." answered Fury.**

"**Great, he's a rich kid, so now we'll have two Tony's running around." groaned Clint.**

"**I disagree," said Janet which caused Tony to shoot her a surprised smile which turned into a pout when she added, "I'm sure your guest will be more mature than Tony."**

**There were several mutters of agreement as Tony pouted at all of them. Fury rolled his eye at them and decided to continue the conversation, "While he is here Harry will be staying at Avengers Tower."**

"**What?" cried Tony.**

"**Really Stark where did you think he'd be staying?" asked Natasha.**

"**At a hotel or something I don't want a kid running loose in my tower. Besides it's starting to get a bit crowded" said Tony.**

"**Crowded? I'm pretty sure that are still several empty rooms in the tower." said Clint**

"**Stark I'm sure you have plenty of room." said Steve.**

"**Yes well I don't want him in my tower" repeated Tony**

"**I thought it was the Avengers Tower now anyways so you really have no room to complain Tony" said Janet.**

"**It is but it's still my tower." said Tony.**

"**He's probably just worried that having a kid round will kill his sex life" said Clint.**

"**Am not!" cried Tony indignantly.**

"**Are too" said Clint.**

"**Am not"**

"**Are too"**

"**Am not"**

"**Shut it!" shouted Logan breaking off the argument though Clint and Tony continued to glare at each other across the table. The other members just shook their heads at Clint and Tony's immaturity.**

"**This is not negotiable Stark so you will do this or I will make your life very unpleasant. His plane arrives tomorrow and I want at least two of you to pick him up and don't draw attention to yourselves. Make sure to read the files thoroughly." said Fury.**

"**But there's barely anything here" said Tony.**

"**Pym and Van Dyne follow me. The rest of you leave" ordered Fury. He turned and left the conference room with Janet and Hank trailing behind him. The rest of the Avengers stayed behind to figure out who would pick the kid up from the airport. The ensuing argument lasted for nearly two hours. In the end it was Tony who ended it by suggesting they all act like adults and draw straws for it. Everybody except for Bruce participated, in the end Tony and Steve had drawn the short sticks.**

**END FLASHBACK**

Steve knew that this was surprisingly good behavior as far as Tony was concerned. He was not looking forward to his next meeting with Fury though. Steve was quite certain that Tony's antics had drawn some media attention and the director of SHIELD would not be pleased.

* * *

_**Back to Harry POV**_

"Don't worry about your luggage, I already had someone get it. So kid how come you don't look like your picture?" asked Sunglasses as they were leaving. Harry could hear Steve groan quietly at the question.

"Don't you have any manners?" asked Steve.

"Nope so while we're on it your file was very odd any reason why?" asked Sunglasses completely unfazed by the glare being sent his way by the irritated blonde.

"No idea do you have the photo with you?" asked Harry. He was curious about the file as well since he had a sneaking suspicion the real files had been intercepted at some point and replaced. He needed to see the file in question in order to confirm his suspicions though.

"Yep" said Tony pulling the picture from his pocket and handing it over. Harry looked at the picture and examined it. The photo confirmed his suspicions as only his friends had a copy of this photo. It was taken during Christmas of break of his second year, he had been laughing at a prank the twins had pulled on Seamus. It had been one of the few times that year that he had been so carefree. He was also a few centimeters taller now and his features were slightly less boyish. He decided that he might as well tell Tony the truth or parts of it as he was certain someone would eventually notice the dummy files and change them.

"Well I'm not sure but I think you ended up with a dummy file." said Harry

"A dummy file? Why would Fury give us a dummy file?"

"Well I imagine he didn't know it was a dummy file I think the problem originated on our end. I can't be absolutely certain until I've seen the file but I think you have just been had." said Harry.

"Well we should get in. We're taking you back to Avengers Tower, where you'll be staying" inserted Steve before Tony could continue his line of questioning. He was curious about the supposed dummy files as well but he didn't think it was right to interrogate Harry about it.

"I'm guessing that's not a hotel, is it?" asked Harry dryly.

"Nope, sorry kid but you're stuck with us. We've been ordered to watch you like dogs" said Tony.

'Well at least he's being honest about it', thought Harry wryly. That didn't mean he had to like it though it was a nice change. He was used to people watching him for his own good without telling him. Like the Order had skulking around and trailing his every move without his knowledge. Besides he could sneak away if he really wanted to. He still had his invisibility cloak after all. The Minister probably should have been a bit more specific when he said no magic because Harry found there were several loopholes in the Minister's orders.

"Come on the car's right outside." said Sunglasses.

Harry followed Tony out the door with Steve trailing behind them. His eyes widened slightly when he saw which car Tony approached. It was a black stretch limo that Harry was larger than any limo he had seen before. Though to be fair he had only seen limos on the telly whenever Dudley was watching one of his programs. He saw a driver in a trim black uniform hold the door open for Tony and followed suit. He knew that Tony was quite well known and from everything he'd seen so far the man seemed to bask in the attention, at least if his attitude and car were any indicators. He wondered how the man would react if he found out that not only did Harry not know his name but had even temporarily dubbed him Sunglasses. It promised to be amusing and something Harry was looking forward to.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**Warning:** Language

**A/N:** Okay this is the third rewritten chapter, yay. I have a better idea on where I want the background of this story to come from. All the origins will be taken directly from the movies though a few things may be modified slightly. For example I changed Pepper from a redhead to a blonde. Since in the movies Pepper has blonde hair and blue eyes.

I think this will be the last of Neo and Dawn for a while though I can't be absolutely certain as I have a brief conversation between Neo and Fury planned. Other than that I don't plan on having them appear for a while. Before I started the rewrites I wasn't certain whether or not I wanted Fury to be in the know on the magical world. I have decided that he will be in the know as I was originally planning on leaving him in the dark.

There is something I do need some help with. I have never been to New York so I have absolutely no idea what the city is actually like all my knowledge regarding location will be secondhand. If there is anyone familiar with New York and the surrounding areas willing to give me a walk-through of the city and landmarks, I would really appreciate it. Also the subway system too (or if anybody knows some good websites to look for this stuff that would be good too, though it would be nice to have a first hand account). I am not asking for a beta here just someone to help me with keeping locations accurate and somewhat realistic though this person will probably end up getting a lot of sneak peeks because I am going to need help picking locations for events and such. So PM me if you're interested.

**Reviews make me write faster! So don't forget to!**

* * *

_The Ministry of Magic-Minister's Office_

Neo paced his office, treading around the Persian rug on his office floor. He had spent the last half hour going in circles. He knew that things were already starting to move too fast and if he didn't get a handle on it the entire situation would spin out of his control. If things fell now the blow up would be spectacular. He needed to stop it before things got too far. He needed to contact the American Ministry things would go south very fast if they got involved now. He also needed to distract Lestrange and her cronies from their current objective. Aurors would need to be sent out to keep an eye out on the situation as it developed. He was so deep in his ruminations it took him a minute to realize there was someone else in the room.

"NEO NOVUS INCIPIENS, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" yelled Dawn. Her expression was a mixture of anger and exasperation that Neo was quite familiar with. He knew that if he didn't respond she would continue shouting and probably get louder as well.

"Yes," answered Neo, "and please stop shouting."

"Well I wouldn't have to shout if you answered me. I have been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes" said Dawn exasperatedly.

"Was I?" asked Neo distractedly, "I was thinking, what did you need?"

"Well there were some forms I need you to sign" responded Dawn, "Though there are a few rumors floating about that I am rather curious about."

"Yes, and?" said Neo quirking an eyebrow. He turned his full attention towards her shoving his other thoughts aside for now.

"You are being purposely obtuse, I have no doubt you've already heard them as you seem to have a pretty good grasp of everything that goes on, sometimes before it even happens." replied Dawn raising her own eyebrows.

"You overestimate me. It is simply a matter of perception" responded Neo.

"Somehow I doubt it" said Dawn wryly, "no I think—no I know that you know exactly what is going on and you don't want to answer the question."

"Well it was a rather vague question" said Neo.

"I need to be more then do I?" asked Dawn tartly, "very well I assume you've heard that several Death Eaters have been spotted in America if the latest reports are to believed. And given the source I believe they are fairly trustworthy."

Dawn was starting to lose patience with her boss. She had worked directly under him in the Department of International Magic for several years. She knew that he was avoiding answering her question she just didn't know why. Neo kept his own counsel she knew that but it often infuriated her especially when he started plotting.

"I assume that you have looked at the files?" asked Neo, then seeing Dawn's sharp nod he continued, "Well then you know everything that I know."

"I am asking you because I wanted to know your opinion" scowled Dawn. Oh he was definitely plotting all right, and that was not a good sign.

"Why did you not ask me that in the first place?" asked Neo with a smile.

"Aargh!" cried Dawn, "you have to be one of the most infuriating people I have ever met!"

"Well, perhaps because you have not met all that many people my dear" said Neo. He was aware that baiting her so purposely would come back to get him later but he could not let her interfere.

"My dear Neo you are plotting. I pray that whatever haphazard plan is currently in the works it has nothing to do with Harry!" shouted Dawn.

"Harry?" asked Neo his eyebrow rising further as he regarded his irate secretary.

"Yes, well, Min talked about him a lot, she was like a proud grandmother, always bragging about the boy. So much that I feel like I already know him." said Dawn.

"A great witch, she will be missed." said Neo solemnly.

"Yes," agreed Dawn sadly then added with a smirk, "and she understood what it was like to work with someone, well someone like you."

Neo ignored the intended barb as he focused on putting forwards a calm and solemn demeanor. He knew that Dawn could see through him fairly well but even she could not read him well enough to tell just how much of his attitude was genuine. It amused him slightly that even though she knew he was up to something she managed to fall for his tricks repeatedly. It was not quite as amusing when she realized she'd been tricked, but that was something to worry about later. It would not do for Dawn to interfere at this point in time.

"That is true. She worked for a great man too" said Neo, his solemn air more genuine with this sentiment.

"You would think so." said Dawn wryly.

"We shared similar ideals." replied Neo simply.

"Yes and you share the habit of concocting haphazard plans that ultimately get someone hurt" said Dawn.

"Sometimes people get hurt it is an unfortunate result though in this instance the risks are quite minimal. As long as Potter stays out of trouble everything will be fine" replied Neo evenly.

"You say that now, besides you and I both now that boy finds trouble like a niffler finds gold." said Dawn.

"True, but as of this moment no one aside from us and a couple of others, know the exact whereabouts of Mr. Potter." said Neo.

"That's because you coerced the poor boy into a vacation he didn't want" said Dawn.

"I had no choice, he would have refused otherwise" said Neo. He did regret having to threaten Harry that had not been his intention, but if things worked out perhaps then it would be for the best. Further angering the young wizard was not an idea he relished either as he was very capable and had many allies. He was certain that some recent accidents in the Ministry were the responsibility of some of those allies.

"And I just fell off my broomstick!" cried Dawn, "you can't honestly expect that nobody will figure out where he is."

"Of course not but I have made sure he has protection where he is. I called in a favor or two to get him very capable protectors" said Neo.

"Like a few aurors will do any good." huffed Dawn.

"I assure you that Harry has more than just a few aurors as his protection in fact I think that it is safe to say he is with the best protection in all of America. Many of my colleagues there speak highly of them." stated Neo.

"Ever the diplomat you are. Sometimes I wonder what you see when you look at the world. It's like life is a giant chessboard and people are just pawns. Not everything can be planned out!" shouted Dawn. Her temper was boiling again.

"You have a skewed view of me. I like to have things thought out well in advance, there is no crime in that" said Neo.

"Depends what you consider a crime" retorted Dawn.

"It is not like he can't take care of himself and I really do have his best interests at heart." said Neo.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask?" asked Neo.

"I—no, arrgh. You hijacked my entire conversation again!" cried Dawn.

"I did not, you merely saw fit to repeat an argument that we have had at least a hundred times before." stated Neo.

"Fine, but I'm warning you Neo if any harm comes to that boy because of you, Minister or not I will castrate you." Dawn said with menace. She proceeded to turn on her heel and storm out of the room, effectively ending the conversation. There was a phone call she needed to make.

"No need to be so crass!" Neo called after her departing figure.

He watched her leave with some trepidation as he knew that it would be a good while before she calmed down. Though he did acknowledge her point, he would need to tread cautiously. Things would work out for the best, now they just needed to follow their course. He had after all promised to ensure the boy's safety and he meant to keep that promise.

* * *

Harry gazed at the building before him feeling slightly awed. It was very tall and not like anything he had ever seen before. Actually the entire ride had been spent gazing out the windows at the large city. He had been to muggle London a few times so he knew what a city was like but New York was a city all its own.

The towering buildings were quite something to look at and he did get a brief glimpse of Central Park which was not all that far from their destination. He was amazed by how alive the city seemed to feel much like Hogwarts had been. Or at least, the Hogwarts he remembered from before the Final Battle since the castle had collapsed in the fight against Voldemort. The walls had crushed friend and foe alike trapping several and killing more. Harry had survived unscathed because he had been in the courtyard finishing off Voldemort. His thought became increasingly melancholy and it took him a few minutes to figure out that someone was trying to talk to him.

"Hey kid come on can't stand out here all day we might get mobbed" said Sunglasses cheerfully.

"Ok" said Harry distractedly his thoughts still on Hogwarts and all the death and destruction from the Final Battle. Attempting to distract himself from his current line of thought Harry mused that he still didn't know Sunglasses' name. He was quite looking forward to the man's reaction when he learned Harry had absolutely no idea who the man was.

Harry looked around at the building and saw that there was a lot of technology around, He fidgeted with the silver bands around his wrists, grateful that they would keep him from blowing anything up. Magic and technology did not mix though in Harry's case that seemed to be an understatement as he had the tendency to blow up or short out even the simplest machines. In fact technology in general had taken a great dislike to him for no apparent reason recently. He kept having some strange bouts of accidental magic lately too.

He stepped into the lift with the other two with relieved. The bands were working excellently because nothing had blown up or shorted out in the short walk across the lobby. He looked at all the buttons with mild curiosity and saw that there were at least sixty floors in the building there was also a complicated looking control panel above the buttons. A few minutes later the lift dinged and the doors slid open to let them out.

"Good Afternoon sirs" announced a voice as they exited the elevator and caused Harry to nearly jump out his skin in surprise, his hand reaching automatically for his wand. He looked around trying to find the source of the voice and found there was no discernible source.

"Relax that's just JARVIS my AI" said Tony. He must have seen the slight confusion on Harry's face as he added, "Artificial Intelligence, he's in charge of most of the Tower's functions among other things."

"You get used to it" said Steve kindly.

"Hello and welcome to Avengers Tower, Lord Potter-Black" greeted JARVIS.

"Err, hello" said Harry feeling slightly weird about talking to a bodiless voice, "and I prefer Harry, if you please JARVIS"

"Of course Harry" replied JARVIS.

"Thank you JARVIS" said Harry sincerely.

"Of course Harry. Sir, a call has just arrived from Director Fury? Would you like to answer it? He claims it is of the utmost importance." stated JARVIS.

"Later JARVIS. Old eye patch can wait, after all we still have to get Harry settled as per SHIELD and Fury's request of course." said Sunglasses.

"Maybe we should see what he wants" suggested Steve.

"He either wants to yell or give us more work. Besides it's I like messing with Fury" said Sunglasses.

"What if it's an emergency?" asked Steve.

"JARVIS would have notified me" answered Sunglasses.

"Correct I have been programmed to monitor SHIELD and report any threats and evaluate any emergencies" said JARVIS.

"You're spying on SHIELD?" asked Steve.

"They started it. Besides this way I know when there's an actual emergency or not" said Sunglasses.

Harry watched as the pair started to argue with amusement. Their conversation proved interesting but also slightly confusing. He was curious about this Fury and shield that kept being mentioned. He wondered about all the new information as it was becoming glaringly obvious that Incipiens had left out quite a few details on where he was staying, and the people he would be staying with. It looked like he would definitely need to have a talk with the Minister soon.

"Sir, Fury demands that you answer at once he's threatening to call Ms. Potts instead, I suggest that you answer" said JARVIS.

Harry saw that Sunglasses looked slightly alarmed and guessed that Ms. Potts was someone to be reckoned with because the man seemed to comply rather quickly and excused himself to make a call, dragging Steve with him. Which Harry thought was quite an achievement as Steve was a good deal bigger than Sunglasses. Harry realized that he would probably be left to his own devices for a while but he didn't particularly mind. Harry decided the first thing he needed to do was find his room and then he would go from there. Now the question was how to find his room, because with the size of the tower it would take him a while to find anything.

"Erm Jarvis?" asked Harry.

"Yes, do you require some assistance Harry?" asked JARVIS

"Yes please, would you direct me to where I'm staying? I would like to unpack." said Harry.

"Of course, your room is one floor down in the guest quarters. Just take the elevator back down your room is on the right." said JARVIS

"Thanks JARVIS" said Harry.

"It is no problem" said JARVIS.

Harry went back into the elevator and carefully selected the button that would take him to the next floor down. It was quite easy to find his room after that as there was a short hallway and three doors. He turned to the one on the right and turned entered the room. He looked glanced around carefully noting all the entrances and exits before examining the room in general. It was well-sized room, there was a king-sized bed pushed against the far wall, a small end table near the bed, and a desk next to the left wall. He explored room for a couple minutes more and found he had a walk-in closet as well as his own bathroom. He also found that his luggage had been brought up and was now resting against the foot of the bed.

He rummaged through his carry-on before pulling out a few vials that had been enchanted to look like water bottles. He was slightly paranoid an after effect of the war and he often jumped at the littlest things. This had become a slight problem as he tended to hex who or whatever managed to catch him by surprise which resulted in some minor collateral damage for the Ministry. He found a good way to counter this was to not be taken by surprise which was actually a good deal harder than it sounded. The solution to his problem, oddly enough came by way of Fred and George, while developing some products they created a potion that temporarily gave a person heightened senses and awareness. After a few tests Harry found he was able to destroy fewer things because he often had advance warning when someone was approaching though he only took the potion when he felt it was warranted. He wanted to learn to control his reflexes on his own.

He hadn't been sure exactly what he would need so he had decided to err on the side of caution and packed some calming draughts, dreamless sleep, pepper-up, and a few others. There was one of each in his suitcase though he had several more potions in his trunk which had been shrunk and shoved into his moleskin pouch. Sadly there were no potions that would take the edge off his memories while he was awake, so he tried not to dwell on them much. They weren't as bad now that he knew occlumency, and was able to employ it to some extent to keep his mind organized. He was about to unpack when his stomach decided to remind him that he had not eaten since before the flight.

He took the stairs up this time as he didn't want to use the elevator too much. He was distracted from his pursuit to find the kitchen by the reappearance of Sunglasses and Steve. He saw that they were now accompanied by a woman. She was shorter than both men but Harry could see as she approached that he was only two or three centimeters taller than her. She had shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles. He noticed that she looked slightly disappointed while next to her Sunglasses looked sulky. Steve was looking at Sunglasses with exasperation and barely concealed irritation.

"Hi I'm Pepper Potts" said the woman with a smile. She held out her hand for Harry to shake which he did.

"Pepper's going to stay with you while we go out" said Steve.

"Geez don't give the kid the wrong impression Capsicle. I'm not dating him, I'm dating Pepper." said Sunglasses who looked a bit more cheerful. His comment caused Steve to look at him in confusion while Pepper elbowed him in the side.

"Ignore him his brain is suffering from a severe lack of oxygen" said Pepper rolling her eyes at Sunglasses.

"I'm not suffering from a lack of oxygen" said Tony bemusedly.

"You will be if you don't get to the Helicarrier soon" stated Pepper.

"Pepper!" cried Sunglasses looking torn between indignation and amusement after a few moments amusement won out, "as much as he would love to Fury can't strangle me after all I'm the one who helped remodel the Helicarrier."

"She has a point come on I don't want to be late." said Steve. He then grabbed Sunglasses by the arm and dragged him towards the elevator. Harry watched them go with slight bemusement.

* * *

**A/N:** Awkward ending I know, but I got distracted so this ended up coming out later in the day than I had planned next chapter might be up tomorrow it depends how work goes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**Warning:** Very angsty Harry this chapter.

**A/N:** Okay not a lot of people like Neo and Dawn I guess that's to be expected. However their bit in the last chapter was important but that will not be obvious for a few more chapters and yes these first few chapters are mostly me establishing a sturdy base for this story. Note I thought Ant-man's name was Hank Pym but it's actually Henry Pym so I've changed it this chapter and will do the other chapters later. Not red Pepper didn't work so my solution she dyed her hair.

Also for those who want more background on some of the less well known characters that information will be cropping up shortly.

**Review please! They are the fuel that keeps me going! **

* * *

Almost all members of the Avengers were gathered as were Janet and Henry who were now official Avengers even though they were only there on a reserve status. Tony was absent as he insisted on being fashionably late with the exception of any end of the world emergencies. Thor was absent as well. Unlike the last meeting everyone was on edge as they waited for Fury to deliver the news. Logan, Janet, and Henry were not as tense as the original Avengers but they could feel the tension in the air and it was making them edgy as well.

"I thought you brought Stark with you Rogers." said Fury his question sounding more like a statement.

"I did but he wandered off after we arrived, sir" answered Steve who shifted in his seat nervously.

"Ok people let's start this meeting." declared Tony walking in late as usual not the least bothered by all of the withering glares being shot at him.

"We have a problem" said Fury grimly.

"Oh really?" asked Tony, "What is this time Armageddon? Doomsday? The Apocalypse?"

""Shut it Stark we don't have time for your jokes." snapped Clint.

"Fine what is reindeer games up to now?" asked Tony.

"Tony this is serious" said Steve.

"Yeah, could you try to act your age for a few minutes?" asked Janet.

"Make me." responded Tony.

"Gladly" stated Janet with menace.

"Want me to straighten you out?" asked Clint.

"So what is Loki up to now?" asked Bruce. He could see that Clint was losing his patience with Tony and he really didn't want to risk the archer snapping and shooting Tony with an arrow. Especially since he knew that the billionaire would probably continue to antagonize Clint.

"Excuse me, but why are we so worried about Loki?" asked Janet.

"What?" asked Clint, "don't you remember the alien invasion that totaled a good portion of the city."

"We were out of town for that, I was speaking at a conference in Geneva on particle collisions. I haven't read any of the files on Loki yet." said Henry.

"Yeah so maybe you could give us new Avengers a recap so we can freak out with everyone else." added Janet.

"Loki is Thor psychotic brother who unleashed an alien army and attempted world domination. He is responsible for hundreds of deaths because of that." said Clint. He was still sore about the mind control stint and held a large grudge against the demigod.

"Oh" said Janet.

"Yeah our biggest problems this year were Doom and he's more of a pest than anything, besides the Fantastic Four usually deals with him. The big green guy got loose in Canada and that's how claws here ended up on the team. The rest of us were dealing with some of Asgardian monster things we even got reindeer games to help. After some serious blackmail." said Tony offhandedly.

"That I remember it was the same day as an event on sustained fusion by Dr. Octavius." said Henry.

"Octavius? You mean that guy who tried to rob the Federal Reserve Bank?" asked Clint.

"I remember that Fury nearly skinned us because the Doc nearly leveled Manhattan. In fact he would have if it weren't for that Spider kid." said Tony.

"Yeah then he nearly blew a gasket when the tin can interrupted him by asking how the hell we were supposed to be in three places at once." added Clint.

"I had a point after all how were we supposed to fight Doc, stop Bruce and fight a bunch of monsters. Anyways I suggested several great ideas afterwards" defended Tony.

"I distinctly remember one of those suggestions being a DeLorean, and I quote, 'to go back to meet Fury before he swallowed that cactus' among other things." said Clint.

"I liked the second suggestion, where we go back to the Paleozoic Era to see Fury with two eyes." said Bruce dryly.

"Enough!" snapped Fury. Bruce and Clint look slightly embarrassed as both men had momentarily forgotten the man's presence while Tony looked completely unfazed. "Back to the matter at hand, in light of recent events Odin has decided to revise Loki's punishment. Odin believes that Loki will benefit from learning our Midgardian ways."

"Is this going where I think it's going because I don't like where this is going if it's going where I think it's going." said Clint.

"That didn't make any sense and coming from me that's saying something" said Tony. While the rest of the Avengers were looking at Clint like he'd lost his marbles.

"Loki is here." stated Fury.

"In a high security prison with several armed guards?" asked Clint.

"No he's here on the Helicarrier." said Fury. He did not look at all happy about this though it was hard to tell with his usually grim demeanor.

"Are you crazy?" demanded Clint, "the last time he was here the Helicarrier crashed."

"Believe me Barton but I don't want him on my ship any longer than he has to be. We have Thor standing guard over him with some SHIELD agents. Which is why all of you are here, Loki will now be staying at Avengers Tower." said Fury.

"What?" yelped Tony.

"I'm not keeping here not after last time plus I don't want him to have any access of some sensitive files." said Fury.

"Well last time he was at my house he opened an inter-dimensional portal on my balcony. Not to mention he totally trashed the rest of the place. Plus I lost a perfectly good bottle of Dom Perignon in that fight." whined Tony.

"You would bitch about the alcohol." said Janet rolling her eyes at the billionaire.

"Whatever I don't want him staying at my tower. I've only just got rid of the new paint smell. Why can't we stick him on the Raft or something?" asked Tony.

"The Raft is still in the designing stages and those files are supposed to be classified." stated Fury glaring at Tony.

"Well I'm sure that I can think of something. Besides what about the kid we really shouldn't expose him to such an evil megalomaniacal demigod. I don't think we should expose him to that kind of person. The poor innocent kid shouldn't be exposed to someone like Loki" said Tony.

"Nice try Stark, but he's staying at the tower and that's final. Besides he's been stripped of his magic until he can prove himself worthy.

"Fine but I'm holding SHIELD responsible for any damage that he causes." huffed Tony.

"Good we have him ready for transport once this meeting is over." said Fury.

"I agreed to let him stay in my tower but I'm not letting him in until I've added a few extra security measures. He can stay here for a week." said Tony.

"What part of he cannot stay here do you not comprehend Stark?" asked Fury.

"All of it. All I heard from you was blah my ship blah no Loki blah blah blah." said Tony.

"Listen here Stark. I am one second away from-" started Fury and everyone could see the vein throbbing on his forehead as he glared at the smirking inventor. He closed his hands into fists which was undoubtedly to keep him from strangling Tony.

Seeing that Stark was about to interrupt with a comment that she was sure would make the Director's head explode. So instead of letting Fury give into temptation and actually strangle Stark, which was beginning to be a far too tempting idea Natasha spoke up. "Can't you do it in less time, Stark?"

"Well I might be able to do it in about 48 hours." admitted Tony.

"Deal!" shouted Janet. Fury raised an enquiring eyebrow at her and she added, "It's probably the best you're get from him Director besides I don't want to be here all day."

"Fine. You have 48 hours Stark." said Fury.

"Although if I had 72 hours I could…" said Tony.

"You have 48 hours. Take it or leave it" stated Fury, his voiced laced with thinly suppressed frustration. The rest of the Avengers found this unsurprising as this was how they felt whenever they had to deal with Tony for extended periods of time. Bruce being an exception as he and Tony managed to get along fairly well.

"Fine." agreed Tony reluctantly.

"Good, now I'm going to make the arrangements for Loki's movement." said Fury who then turned and strode out of the room.

The meeting quickly deteriorated from there, as everyone decided to take off on their own. The Avengers interacted with each other only on missions and meetings, some days they barely even saw each other, despite the fact that they all lived in the same place. Their teamwork and general camaraderie was limited to the battlefield as they tended to keep their personal lives separate. It was a good balance one that worked, and one that would shortly be disrupted.

* * *

_Meanwhile at Stark Tower…_

Harry nervously paced his room which he had retreated to after spending an hour in the presence of the perky blonde woman. She reminded him of Ginny a resemblance that became stronger when Pepper revealed that she was a natural red. She had shown him several pictures before he had been forced to flee by the onslaught of memories the pictures stirred. His hunger forgotten he had sat on the bed brooding for at least an hour. His mind began drifting once again over the final battle. He remembered how he felt his heart stop as he saw the majestic castle collapsed killing most of the fighters.

He thought of all the promises that Ron, Hermione, and he had made. One night while they had hunted for horcruxes talk had turned to life after the war, which was a far off dream at that point. Hermione had suggested that they should all try some traveling. He had thought it an odd proposition from the bookworm and when Ron had said as much she had clonked him over the head before talking about a bunch of places she'd read about. New York had been one of them, mentioning that she had visited the city with her parents. He felt a pang as he thought of Hermione's parents who were still living in Australia.

He had gone to visit them shortly after the war ended. He had found them living happily as Wendell and Monica Wilkins. He knew that the memory charm would have worn off soon as the original caster was dead. It was a decision he still agonized over. He could renew the memory charms before and let the Grangers live out false lives or let the charms fade and tell them that their daughter was dead. In the end he decided it would be less painful for them to continue living in Australia without their memories. He knew that he had no right to do that but he did not feel better about the alternative either. He had then made a couple additions to their accounts so they could live the rest of their lives without worrying about finances. It was the least he could do for them and it was not like he would miss the money.

Money had always meant very little to him, but after the war it meant even less. He had found himself the richest wizard in Britain, perhaps even the world. The British Ministry of Magic still abided to the rules of conquest as did Gringotts. This meant that he was given the vaults of several Death Eaters. He also had access to several vaults from wizards whose family lines died out in the final battle and had alliances with the Potter family. The reparations that he'd had to pay Gringotts barely even made a dent and they'd asked for quite a lot.

He would give every galleon he have his friends but despite all the impossible things magic could do, it could not bring the dead back. He no longer had the Resurrection Stone and had not even tried to retrieve it though he did think of it sometimes. He tried not to dwell on his memories too much during the day as they haunted him enough during the night. As his thoughts became steadily more morose his stomach decided to once again remind him that he had not eaten in at least twelve hours.

With a sigh Harry heaved himself to his feet. He didn't want to make Pepper feel awkward, but after those pictures he really didn't want to be around her. She just reminded him of things that he would rather not think about. He needed to find the kitchen perhaps cooking would take his mind off things as it usually did. He didn't really want to ask Pepper where the kitchen was though so he'd probably have to find it on his own. He walked to the elevator and stared at the control panel hoping it would somehow reveal the location of the kitchen.

"Are you looking for something Harry?" asked JARVIS.

"Yes actually I'm looking for the kitchen." said Harry warily. He had jumped violently when he'd heard JARVIS and had to stop himself from jinxing everything in sight.

"It is on the floor above you, it is next to the shelf with all the pictures that Miss Potts was showing you earlier." replied JARVIS.

"Okay I remember where that is thanks JARVIS" said Harry.

Harry took the elevator upstairs and headed to his right. Once he reached the oak shelves that housed the pictures that Pepper had so proudly showed off he saw a dark mahogany door that no doubt led to the kitchen. He pushed the door opened and was pleased to find a well-furnished kitchen. After looking through the cabinets and the fridge he concluded that despite all of the appliances there wasn't anything to cook.

"Erm JARVIS is the food kept in a separate area or something?" asked Harry.

"No, fresh food is usually not stocked in the tower, as most of the residents prefer to procure their meals elsewhere." answered JARVIS.

"Oh well I wanted to cook is there a market or something nearby that I could go to." said Harry.

"I'm sorry but I have given strict instructions not to let you out of the tower." said JARVIS.

"Oh" said Harry. He really didn't know what else to say he couldn't really force JARVIS to let him out of the tower and he didn't want to ask Pepper for help. She was the reason he was currently hiding in the kitchen anyways.

"If I may? There are several grocers who are willing to deliver." said JARVIS.

"That's great. Um JARVIS do you know when everyone will be returning?" asked Harry.

"No, everyone generally returns in their own time. I can contact them to see what time they would be back." replied JARVIS.

"Oh, well I don't want to be a bother, but since I'm already here I figured I could make dinner for everyone." said Harry.

"I'm sure the team will be most pleased. I will help in any way that I can" said JARVIS.

"Thank you JARVIS" said Harry, "I have a couple things I want to make but I'll be glad to have some suggestions.

* * *

**A/N 2:** This is a lot shorter than I wanted it but I didn't want to wait to update. I've been busy because some idiot got fired and I have to pick up the slack until another person is hired. Also I have another story up called _Harry Situations_ which has some Avenger one-shots along with others.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney.

**A/N:** Ok so here's chapter four which also covers part of the chapter I didn't finish from last time. Sorry that this has been so long I've been pretty busy recently. I've also been working on some other stories but as no one has been reading them I'm lowering their priority. On the pairing front I don't know. I'm not very good with romance so there's a good chance this will be gen.

* * *

Pepper sat at her desk in the office that Tony had added to the tower for her. She was organizing his schedule and checking on various aspects of the company. She found herself distracted though and barely saw the figures from their quarterly revenue reports. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the Tower's new guest. She had been surprised when Tony had reported that the Avengers Tower would be hosting a sixteen-year-old foreigner. She had then had to console her boyfriend because the kid arrived on their date night. She had been disappointed too, but she knew that it came with the territory. They had planned to go out anyways, but then Fury had called them in for an emergency meeting which meant they would be rescheduling date night.

The kid had been completely different than what she expected. She had been expecting a typical teenager with perhaps a bit more haughtiness. Instead she found a polite and reserved young man with shadows in his eyes that looked quite out of place on his young face. They had become more pronounced when she had been showing him some pictures. She had then glanced over at him and saw him staring at the pictures dejectedly, which he quickly masked when he realized that she was looking. She wondered what he had been through put such an expression on his face.

Shortly after that he had quickly excused himself and fled back to his room. A little while later she had heard him come back upstairs and watched as he walked into the kitchen. Twenty minutes after that a delivery of groceries arrived. JARVIS had then taken charge of the groceries, leaving Pepper to deal with a star struck delivery boy. Now about an hour later there were several tantalizing aromas emanating from the kitchen. She had been severely tempted to see what their guest was doing, but she had decided against it.

As she shut down her computer she heard a loud crack of thunder, rocket thrusters, and bickering. With a sigh she walked over to the balcony as she heard the sounds announcing the team's arrival. Given the loudness of the argument she guessed that the meeting had not gone well.

"-should tie him up in chains and lock away the key" Clint said.

"Give it a rest birdbrain" Tony said, rolling his eyes at thee archer.

"My brother has earned this chance archer. Our father has decided that Loki should be given the chance to redeem himself." Thor said.

"We should just wait and see the guy is crazy so who knows." Bruce added.

"Wow Pep something smells good." Tony commented as the mask slid from his helmet, slowly followed by the rest of his suit. It proceeded to fold into a compact suitcase which Tony set on a small table to his right.

The rest of the Avengers took tentative sniffs of the air and found that there was a delicious scent making its way through the tower. They shared mildly surprised glances as they all knew that Pepper was not a very good cook. It was Clint who took the initiative and asked what most of them were thinking.

"Yeah, where did you order from?" He asked.

"What makes you didn't think I cooked something myself?" Pepper asked, indignant.

"Because the last time you cooked we had to get a new stove" Clint stated.

"That was not my fault. Besides all of you have blown up the kitchen at least once." Pepper said.

"True. The thunder god exploded pop tarts and my microwave, Capsicle broke the electric stove, Logan slashed the coffee machine, Natasha attacked the toaster, and birdbrain nearly burned the entire place down." Tony said.

"That true we had to evacuate the building and explain all the smoke to the fire marshals the last time Clint used the kitchen." Pepper added.

"I think you're forgetting someone, the tin can has broken the kitchen too. He burned water the last time he was near a stove" Clint said.

"That was on purpose. I was doing an experiment." Tony said defensively.

"In the kitchen?" Clint asked skeptically.

"Yes" Tony answered.

"The only person who hasn't burned down the kitchen is Bruce and that's because he hasn't tried to cook anything yet." Pepper stated.

"That's because every time I go anywhere near the kitchen Tony follows me around with sharp objects." Bruce said.

"Well I'm just trying to help you get used to life in the city." Tony said.

"The only danger to me lately is you. I don't want to break Manhattan, I already broke Harlem" Bruce said dryly.

"Which you have been pardoned for, no more hiding out in Calcutta for you buddy. Besides the great green rage giant hasn't popped out yet has he? Well he has but that wasn't in the city." Tony said off-handedly.

"I'd rather not risk it." Bruce said.

"I agree, the Hulk is not something that should be taken lightly." Steve said, frowning at the unrepentant billionaire.

"Relax Capsicle. Oh wait I forgot they still haven't defrosted your sense of humor yet." Tony said with a grin.

"Amusing. At least I can handle myself in the field properly." Steve said.

"Oh yeah?" asked Tony

"Yes" Steve said.

"Well I can take you anytime Star Spangled Banner" Tony said.

Pepper sighed with exasperation. She had thought Tony might have learned his lesson about reining his mouth in after the Mandarin debacle. She moved forward to intervene as she could tell Tony was minutes away from goading Steve into a fistfight. Normally the Captain would have withstood Tony's taunts but he seemed to be in the mood to fight. However the kitchen door swung open and Harry stepped out.

* * *

_Harry POV_

Harry had just finished setting the table with help from JARVIS when he heard the group approaching. He had asked JARVIS for more information on the people he was staying with but the computer had stayed mum. The AI had been quite helpful in the kitchen though. Harry also found he enjoyed trading banter as the AI had a dry sense of humor that he could appreciate. Letting his curiosity get the better of him he had eavesdropped with the help of some extendable ears. The argument reminded him of ones often had in fun at the Burrow or in Gryffindor tower. He decided to intervene when he recognized the imminent fight from the tone of the argument.

"…I can take you anytime Star Spangled Banner" said Sunglasses.

"Hey you lot the food is getting cold!" Harry called as he stepped out of the dining room. Using the standard dinner announcement that Molly Weasley had often used, no doubt a result of the nostalgia he was feeling.

He examined the newcomers. The woman stood farthest from him but Harry thought she could easily pass for Lily Potter's sister, twin even. He set aside any thoughts that inspired slamming them behind his occlumency barriers. He then examined the rest of the group. A man with sandy hair stood just behind her, eyeing Harry with suspicion. Standing across from them was a man with dark hair flecked with gray with a bewildered expression. The last was a man with shoulder-length blonde hair and Harry wondered if the man had any giant blood, as he was quite tall.

"Who is this?" the sandy-haired man asked.

"It's just a kid, relax Clint." the woman said. She was tense as well though she hid it better than her friend. She was standing quite stiffly and shifted slightly so she was in a position to attack if it became necessary.

"Look at him, doesn't he remind you of someone" Clint said quietly, though Harry still managed to hear him.

"Slightly" the woman responded.

"He looks like Loki" Clint hissed.

"He does look similar to my brother, but I do not believe that he has had a child on Midgard" the giant boomed.

"He is a spy for Loki. Probably his bastard progeny." Clint said.

"I don't know he has an accent like JARVIS, perhaps a robot?" the nervous guy interjected.

"Looks like he finally went round the bend then" Clint said.

"Hey!" cried Sunglasses offended.

"Well it's true your robot butler looks like the evil offspring of Loki. Plus he's so young and short" Clint stated.

Steve snorted. "He's not a robot version of JARVIS or Loki's son. This is our new guest Harry Potter-Black.

"Well now that it's been established that I am neither the progeny of a mad sorcerer nor the robot incarnation of JARVIS, perhaps we should eat? The food's getting cold." Harry drawled.

He was amused by the various looks of surprise shot his way. Apparently the idea that he could cook was a novelty. He had been cooking pretty much all his life but he realized most people his age probably didn't know how to cook. Neither Hermione nor Ron had. He flinched at the thought and shoved it to the back of his mind. Not wanting to dwell on the memories he quickly turned back towards the dining room.

"Yes thank you Harry." Pepper said.

Harry forced a smile to his face and nodded at her. He was rewarded with a bright smile in return. He returned to the dining room which he had set with instruction from JARVIS. Sunglasses sat at the head of the table with Pepper to his right and Steve on his right. To Pepper's left was the giant then the nervous man. Harry sat on Steve's right with the second woman on his left and Clint next to her.

"Ray Ban at the dinner table really? It's not even sunny in here take the glasses off" Pepper said.

"But Pepper they look so awesome on me." Ray whined.

Harry snorted. At least he finally knew the man's name. After all he couldn't go around calling the man Sunglasses. Now he just had to find out the names of the woman next to him, the nervous man, and the giant. Hopefully he would be able to find out their names over dinner. He didn't want to ask and admit how little he knew about them.

"Wow, this is great." Pepper said.

"Tis a grand feast." the giant agreed. Harry watched the man shovel food onto his plate with amusement. He had finally found someone who could out eat Ron yet had better table manners. His amusement increased when he saw Clint poke at the food tentatively. The man was acting more paranoid than Moody. Then again he had no room to talk; if he hadn't cooked he would be checking for poisons too. Or love potions at the very least. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the food though.

"Pepper and Thor are right this is very good" Steve said.

"Yeah pretty good for British food." said Ray. Harry saw the man flinch a second later and he was quite sure that Pepper had stomped on his foot under the table. He took the reproachful look Ray gave her as confirmation.

"Thanks. I did have some help." Harry said.

"Who?" asked Clint.

"JARVIS helped me, he's quite handy around the kitchen." Harry replied.

"I'm not surprised if Pepper had helped this wouldn't have been edible." Tony said, earning himself an elbow to the ribs courtesy of Pepper.

"Did you have to pry her out of the kitchen?" Clint asked.

"Er, no she looked busy. Sorry." Harry said sheepishly. It occurred to him that he probably should have mentioned that he was going to use the kitchen. JARVIS made it clear that it was allowed though. He also hadn't wanted to talk to Pepper. She just reminded him too much of things he'd rather not think of.

"It's all right I was busy." Pepper said.

"Probably a good thing." muttered Clint who was then elbowed by Natasha.

"Pot calling kettle birdbrain. You caused the coffee machine to combust." Ray snorted.

"It was not my fault you went and added so many different gadgets to it." Clint said.

"Simpleton" Ray said.

"This coming from the guy who put wheels on the toaster that now refuses to make toast." Clint countered.

"Children behave." Pepper said.

"She's talking about you" Clint and Ray said at the same time.

"She meant you" Ray said.

"No she obviously meant you" Clint returned.

"Nuh-uh" Ray said childishly.

"Is it always like this?" Harry asked, amused.

"Sometimes but this is actually pretty civilized. We don't usually all eat together anyways" Pepper responded.

"Hmm, really?" asked Harry, curious. From what he could see the group seemed to have a shared air of camaraderie.

"Yes well everyone usually keeps different schedules. Everyone has their own floor as well so we don't see each other often." Pepper replied.

"You two bicker more than an old married couple" Harry observed. Ray and Clint had continued their early argument which had devolved into a petty "am not" "are too" fight. It reminded him painfully of the arguments between Ron and Hermione. Both responded with indignant splutters while most of the table laughed.

* * *

**REVIEW**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**Warning:** There is going to be a decent amount of angst in this chapter. And some cussing.

**A/N:** I said this would be out by Monday and I only just barely missed the deadline since it's just past midnight. Also massive thanks to everyone who reviewed. As a thank you I worked really hard to get this chapter posted as soon as possible (see they do make me work faster). This chapter and the next are the ones that have changed most. The biggest change is the background and how the war ended. I decided to take a simpler route and eliminated the elaborate backstory and most of the OCs barring Neo and Dawn.

I completely forgot about Harry's glasses. In this version I somehow never directly mentioned whether he was wearing them or not. So I decided to address that in this chapter lest I forget. I'm a big picture so I have this bad habit of forgetting the little details like customs, press, and eyewear apparently.

Also expect an extra that I've done as a sort of SHIELD file on each of the Avengers and potential Avengers this is mostly to give people background info on Logan, Henry Pym, Janet VanDyne. There will also be a separate file on Harry so that people have his background. Some of it will be revealed in flashbacks but I figure this way everyone gets a cohesive version of prior events. Instead of putting it up here like last time.

* * *

Dinner had been devoured, mostly by Steve and Thor. Harry had brought out dessert which everyone was quite enthusiastic about. The banter was replaced by idle small talk that Harry would have thought was in a foreign language if he hadn't known better. Ray and the one man he didn't know were discussing particle somethings. Steve was talking to Thor about sports and someone named Jane. The woman next to him was holding a whispered conversation with Clint. He decided that now was as good a time as any to ask his questions.

"Who is Loki?" Harry asked addressing the table at large.

"Um, he's well no one that you need to worry about." Pepper answered, looking quite flustered.

"Well he does actually since they might be roommates." Ray said casually.

"WHAT?" Pepper shouted, turning a fierce glare on Ray.

"Er, well apparently Odin has decided to commune Loki's sentence to a stay on Midgard. Fury assigned us to be his babysitters too." Ray said.

"What about Harry?" asked Pepper.

"Well apparently reindeer games has been stripped of his powers so he's safe now. Or safe-ish at least" Ray replied.

"I think I'm getting a migraine." Pepper said, rubbing her hand across her forehead.

"Anyway Loki is Thor's brother. He has a few genocidal tendencies and he's a bit of a megalomaniac. But don't worry too much he's been given a time out with no powers." Ray said.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to have him in the tower. Especially not with me in it" muttered the man with dark hair.

"Relax Bruce we won't let you Hulk out. I think Loki still remembers the pounding he got from your last encounter." Ray said.

Harry grinned. Now he knew the names of everyone except the woman next to him. He stiffened slightly at the thought. He glanced at her briefly from the corner of his eye. She looked so much like his mother that it made him very uncomfortable. He had only managed to sit next to her by occluding and just ignoring the fact that she was sitting right next to him. He shifted in his seat slightly before returning his attention to the conversation at hand.

"I agree with Banner having Loki and the Hulk in the same vicinity is…unwise." the woman said.

"It'll be fine Natasha besides if anything the Hulk will keep Loki in line." Clint said.

"Who will keep the Hulk in line?" asked Natasha arching an eyebrow at Clint.

"Uh" Clint said. His lack of a reasonable answer earned him a cuff upside the head. Clint shot Natasha a mild glare while rubbing the back of his head.

"My younger brother has been stripped of his powers much like I was. If Loki can redeem himself he will regain his powers." Thor stated.

"He's a slimy sorcerer with daddy issues" Clint added.

"Oh" Harry said. So far Loki sounded a little too much like Voldemort for his liking. If he had to deal with another dark wizard he was going to feed Neo to Norberta. Then again perhaps the others were exaggerating a bit. Wait how did these people know about wizards, they were supposed to be muggles.

"I'm surprised that you don't know this. The Chitauri invasion was on international news." Pepper said.

"Well I don't watch the telly much. I was in school at the time and my school is very low tech." Harry said. He was not entirely certain when this invasion occurred so he could have been. He couldn't think of a better answer anyways.

"Well that explains it I suppose. Have you heard of the Avengers?" Pepper asked.

"Er, not really" Harry replied, embarrassed.

"Well that's okay. How about I introduce the team?" Pepper asked.

"Thanks I already know Steve and Ray, they picked me up at the airport." Harry answered.

"Ray?" asked Pepper puzzled.

"Yeah Ray Ban" Harry answered motioning towards Ray. Ray had just taken a sip of his drink and started choking when he heard Harry's answer. Pepper had to thump him hard on the back. Ray continued to splutter and cough, and the rest of the table broke out into laughter. Clint nearly fell out of his chair.

"I'm Tony Stark!" shouted Ray. He had recovered from his coughing fit and was staring at Harry incredulously.

"Oh, sorry" said Harry turning red. He had assumed that Ray Ban was his name after all that's what Pepper had called him earlier.

"How can you not know who Tony Stark is?" demanded Ray, or Tony rather.

"Er" said Harry not really certain how to answer. He could just hear Hermione berating him for getting himself into this situation while Ron laughed. Hermione would have forced him to research every aspect of New York before he even set foot on the plane. Ron would have complained about working and gotten distracted by all the muggle terms he didn't understand. He smiled sadly wishing that his friends were with him, but they were gone.

"Well, I asked JARVIS for information earlier but he wouldn't tell me." Harry said, attempting to change the subject.

"I wonder why." Pepper said.

"And deprive sir the pleasure of enlightening our guest on all of his achievements?" JARVIS asked wryly. Harry started slightly as he was not yet used to JARVIS. He liked the guy but it was rather unnerving to talk to a voice with no discernible source.

"Thank you JARVIS" said Harry dryly.

"Of course sir I thought it best if heard directly from the horse's mouth" JARVIS said.

"Don't you mean ass?" asked Clint.

Harry snorted. Beside him he could see Steve shaking with barely suppressed laughter. The rest of the table seemed to be in the same condition. Harry could see Tony opening his mouth to retaliate and decided to intervene once again.

"So what is it that you do Tony?" Harry asked.

"Oh you know billionaire playboy philanthropist, Iron Man, genius inventor of the arc reactor. Owner of Stark Industries one of the world's most prominent businesses" Tony said smugly.

Harry didn't really understand but attempted to look suitably impressed. He had a feeling that if he didn't Tony could probably spend hours talking about himself. Then again something told him that Tony was not as self-absorbed as he liked to appear. Nonetheless he could do without the lecture having heard several long and tedious ones before.

"Well thank you for dinner Harry it was great." Pepper said.

"No problem." Harry said. He could see the looks the group was exchanging. He recognized it easily. It was the same one Order members had before they kicked the younger kids out so they could start the meeting. He saved them the trouble of ordering him out by getting up and collecting the dishes. He was quite surprised when Pepper stopped him.

"Don't worry about the dishes Harry we'll get them why don't you go relax." Pepper said, giving him a gentle smile that made Harry's heartache. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and left the dining room as quickly as possible. He took the stairs down to his room and closed the door behind him. He was glad to be by himself once again and hoped that Pepper didn't notice his odd behavior. He sat down on the edge of his bead.

He wasn't tired yet and he felt that it was bit too early to go to sleep. Though he had arrived in New York in the early afternoon after an eight hour flight, not taking into account the time differences. After a few more minutes of mental calculation Harry found that he had gotten at least six hours of sleep prior to his arrival in New York. For him that was a very good amount. He decided to get in a couple hours of dueling. Muggle world or not he didn't want to get rusty. He pulled his truck out of his pocket. He walked over to the closet and set it down before tapping it with his wand causing it to unshrink.

He had bought the trunk shortly after Voldemort's death. It had five rooms: a bedroom with a kitchenette, a library, a dueling room, a potions lab, and a storage room. He opened the lid and descended the stairs into the dueling room. Muggle world or not it would not be good for him to get rusty. He spent the next two hours vigorously dueling against several training dummies. He was sweaty and completely exhausted when he was done. He decided to take a quick shower before going to bed. He fell asleep immediately. He dream was familiar and unpleasant as he once again dreamed about the Final Battle.

_Harry was dueling Voldemort in the courtyard. The rest of the fighters were dueling all around the grounds. It was chaos. Harry was too busy fighting Voldemort to pay anything else. Harry dodged a particularly nasty looking curse that carved a crater into the spot it hit. He cast a shield charm as another curse was thrown at him._

_Voldemort shrieked in rage and lifted his wand hissed "Avada Kedavra" _

_Harry shouted "Expelliarmus"_

_The two spells collided in midair, green met red, and there was a blast much like a canon. Harry saw scorch marks in the place. *He saw the Elder Wand __saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. _

_And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.*_

_There was a moment of silence as Harry registered what had just happened. Voldemort was dead the war was over. He looked around and saw that the courtyard was empty aside from Voldemort's corpse. __Meanwhile unnoticed by everyone else several Death Eaters had managed to sneak out of Hogwarts They stood outside near the path towards the green houses. In the lead was none other than the insane Bellatrix Lestrange. The group pointed there wands at the now battered castle. They proceeded to cast spell after spell at the castle itself which shook against the assault._

_There was a tremendous rumble as Hogwarts came crashing down. In the courtyard Harry watched in horror as his first home collapsed, crushing many of those still inside. Without stopping to think he ran towards the castle only to find someone holding him back. Their arm was wrapped around his waist keeping him in place. He struggled and kicked but to no avail, the person holding him was stronger and bigger than him._

"_Harry if you go in there now you'll get yourself killed." the person said._

"_Let go of me!" Harry shouted twisting around to glare at his captor, who merely tightened their hold. He didn't recognize the man holding him back which caused him to redouble his efforts at escaping._

"_I'm not gonna hurt you now listen wait for the rubble to clear. You won't be doing one any favors getting yourself injured or killed by the falling debris." his captor said._

_Harry kept struggling intent on making sure everyone who had been inside was all right. He heard his captor grunt when he managed to elbow him in the stomach. The man still did not release his hold._

"_I can see there's no talking any sense to you is there?" asked the man rhetorically. That said Harry felt himself being released and immediately surged towards the castle only to find the world turn dark. He had been hit with a stunner from behind._

Harry gasped and bolted upright. The dream while not as bad as some still jolted him awake. He had to look around the room forcing himself to remember that he was in New York. With a sigh he glanced at the alarm clock. It was quite early but Harry was certain that he would not be getting anymore sleep. He sat up and swung his leg over the edge of the bed. Standing up he stretched lightly. He groped for his glasses for a moment before he remembered that he didn't need them anymore. He still wore them though it was mostly for appearances sake. Not very many people knew that he had his vision corrected. After some thought he'd charmed the glasses so that they would disguise his eye color when he wore them.

He was glancing at the end table by his bed again. There was a note on it that he was certain hadn't been there when he went to sleep. He looked around the room examining it more thoroughly than the cursory glance he'd given it seconds before. He could see nothing out of place and he didn't sense anyone else in the room. He quickly pulled his wand from its holster. He kept it there even when he slept not willing to risk being caught unawares. He quickly cast every detection charm he could think of at the paper, revealing it to be harmless. Picking it up he realized that the writing belonged to the Minister

Harry,

It occurs to me that I may have forgotten to inform you of a few things. I hope that at the very least you are trying to settle in. There has been some news. I can't tell you what it is here shall this note fall into the wrong hands. I have set up a meeting so that I may give you the necessary information. I have a very busy schedule so I was only able to schedule a meeting tomorrow afternoon. There will be an escort waiting for you in Central Park.

Sincerely, Neo Novus Incipiens

P.S. Do try to keep out of trouble. The ink from the paperwork on your last few fiascos hasn't finished drying yet.

Harry felt a jab of irritation as he read the postscript. He wondered briefly who his escort would be then decided he would find out later. Realizing that he was probably the only person up yet he decided to do some more training. He was going to practice some of the muggle fighting instead of dueling. After all if he got into trouble here he couldn't use magic without breaking the Statute of Secrecy to bits. He had a feeling the minister would not be too pleased if he did that. He was not very good at hand-to-hand combat so he felt it would be wise to start practicing it along with his magic. So he stretched again and got ready to start his day.

* * *

**A/N 2:** The Final Battle is mostly AU. For example but most canon events leading up to it will remain the same. I will explain this a bit more later on. Also the person holding Harry back is the a third OC. This is the last OC from the HP side of things. I am trying to condense these by the way it's just I often have lot to say. Also sorry if this is a bit sloppy but I really wanted to make this deadline self-imposed or not. I will be going back over this when I am more awake so forgive me if there are a few errors. I am going to bed now.

Okay I have looked over this chapter and aside from the date of the meeting being incorrect everything else seemed all right. Also the next update should be out by Thursday.

Also what is written from * to * is a direct quote from the Deathly Hallows as I honestly don't think I could say it any better than Rowling did.

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nada, nil, need I say more? All belongs to J.K Rowling, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Marvel, and Disney

**Warning:** Angst, some cussing, Gred and Forge (who come with a warning all their own).

**A/N:** I had a really hard time getting this chapter written because I just got so excited when I started writing about Cynosure Cavern. I also had to put in a bit of research. I replaced Wyatt with a canon character. Also if I got anything wrong about Central Park or New York in general feel free to correct. I have never been to either place.

I meant to have this out earlier but I had a lot of inspiration and it turned into a bit of a monster. Harry will be meeting Loki in a few chapters. Probably around chapter ten or eleven.

* * *

Harry watched idly as his breath turned to mist in the chilly winter air. It was early February and apparently it had been a very tame winter. There had been only marginal amounts of snow and in a few weeks' time the weather would start turning warmer. Something Harry looked forward to when he learned of Tony's habit of dumping snow on the closest unsuspecting person. The man was a menace with a snowball. Not to mention his habit of starting inane arguments.

Like the one the Avengers had over whether Harry should be let out of the Tower unsupervised or not. It was decided that he could take short trips alone only under certain conditions: someone had to know where he was going, he had to have the cell phone with him, and was back by his established curfew. He felt like a dog on a leash. At least he'd managed to convince them that he didn't need a chaperone. Though he had the unsettled feeling that someone had been watching him ever since his departure from the Tower. The notion was rather ridiculous though as most of the trip he had been in a chauffeured car.

"Hey there!" came a cheerful shout that Harry immediately recognized as Kieran Summers. Kieran had been a Hufflepuff two years above Harry. Harry hadn't known him very well during school but they had talked once or twice after the war. He recalled that Kieran mentioned that he was going to try and locate family in the states.

"Hi" returned Harry, "where are we going?"

Harry had no idea where they were going but he had neglected to tell his minders that. As all he knew was that he was supposed to meet someone at Central Park. Instead he had made it seem that his destination was a Subway on the corner of West 110th Street and Lennox Avenue. Since the Minister had failed to mention exactly where he was supposed to meet his escort, Harry took his best guess. He was glad that Kieran had managed to find him. He didn't relish the idea of wandering around Central Park without any idea who he was looking for.

"You'll see" Kieran answered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I suppose I will," Harry said, "so have you found your aunt and uncle yet?"

"No not yet I'm still trying to get used to life here," said Kieran amicably, "so how are you doing?"

"All right so what's it like working for the Americans?" Harry asked.

"Well the Americans have a very loose government, if you want to call it that. I have been working with a group that's trying to establish a stronger form of government. For the most part the wizarding government here is under the Ministry's control" Kieran replied.

Harry snorted. Well at least he didn't have to worry about any more politicians mucking about with his life. It was bad enough that Neo saw fit to meddle with his life. Then again he had not really put up much of a fight. There really wasn't much left for him in Britain but he wasn't about to admit it. He was not going to give the Minister any satisfaction. Not wanting to dwell on that thought too much, Harry decided to change the subject.

"So what is the information on the Avengers?" Harry asked.

"Simplest explanation, they are a group of muggles that have special abilities and work with the government. They have been around for about a year and a half. They were established during the Chitauri invasion. I would steer clear of them if I were you though. Some of the things they get up to make everything you did seem downright tame in comparison" Kieran answered.

"Thanks for the advice, bit too late now" Harry said wryly.

"What?" Kieran asked startled.

"Didn't they tell you who I was staying with?" Harry asked.

"No, as far as I know the Minister only sent news of your arrival a few days ago. It didn't even mention where you were staying only that it was somewhere in New York." Kieran replied.

"I am currently residing in Avengers Tower" Harry said.

"What?" Kieran yelped, "What in the name of Merlin was Minister Incipiens thinking?"

"Who knows, maybe he'll explain during the meeting" Harry said though he doubted that the Minister would do any such thing. No he would probably have to find the information he wanted on his own.

"Just keep your temper. I'd hate to have to arrest you for assaulting the Minister." Kieran said with a grin.

"I'm not going to assault him besides from what I've seen of his secretary I probably won't have to" Harry said dryly.

"That's true the arguments between those two are legendary. Speaking of legendary things have you visited any duck ponds recently?" Kieran asked, his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"How did you hear about that?" asked Harry.

"Word gets around, and you're pretty famous even over here Harry." responded Kieran.

"Great" Harry grumbled, just what he needed more fame.

"Well you did defeat the biggest Dark Lord of the age while you were still underage. That's pretty impressive. Besides while Voldemort's primary focus was Britain and the surrounding areas, he still managed to cause a good bit of damage over here. Albeit indirectly." Kieran stated.

"Yes, but I had a lot of help. A good deal of it was because I got lucky." said Harry.

"That may be true but you accomplished some pretty impressive things. Which have become all the more impressive with the various rumors still floating around about what you got up to in school. A lot of people have their eye on you Harry" said Kieran seriously.

Harry caught the warning in his voice as he said the last part and nodded his understanding. They lapsed into a companionable silence. And Harry found himself lost once more in his thoughts. He knew that his adventures at Hogwarts were subject to much speculation. Several of them had only ever involved him, Hermione, and Ron. The only person who received the most details on their adventures was Dumbledore. There were several things he had never told either of his best friends.

"This way" said Kieran, pulling Harry towards the crosswalk. They waited for the light to change for a few minutes. Harry watched as dozens of cars passed through the busy intersection. The light changes from red to green and they crossed. Once they were on the other side of the street Harry saw a low set grey gate surrounding a large expanse of trees. He saw that there were several grey paved paths threading through the trees. It was a very sedate version of the Forbidden Forest. And he dearly hoped that there were no acromantulas wandering about.

Suddenly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He looked around and saw something large headed his way. Without stopping to think, he dove to the ground pulling Kieran with him. Moments later a large piece of gravel flew past the spot where their heads used to be. Pulling himself up quickly Harry moved for the nearest cover, examining his surroundings as he did so. He saw Kieran behind him as the people around them started to scream and run. He saw one man in a business suit dash in the opposite direction followed a by a group of terrified teenagers. A woman pushing a stroller quickly headed for cover among the trees.

"Stay still you annoying bug!" someone shouted. Harry looked around for the source and blinked in shock. The speaker appeared to be a man, but he had four metal arms. He was wearing a long dark trench coat and a dark shirt and jeans underneath that. It had to be one of the strangest things he had ever seen.

"Spiders are arachnids!" shouted the weirdest looking creature Harry had ever seen. This new creature looked far less human than his companion. From the head to waist his skin was red covered with black webs, from waist to mid-calf his skin was blue, and from mid-calf to feet his skin was red again with more black webs. His eyes were large, triangular, and milky white. Harry's first thought was that this was a major breach of the Statute of Secrecy.

"We need to get out of here" said Kieran urgently. He grabbed Harry by the upper arm and dragged him toward a dense area of trees. Harry was about to protest when he felt the familiar sensation of apparition. They reappeared in a small opening surrounded by trees. Harry glared at Kieran who made a gesture for silence. Harry obliged but continued to glare.

"I was going to take you through the Bandshell entrance but this one's closer." Kieran said, motioning for Harry to follow him.

Harry did, and wondered where they were going. Kieran was walking along a narrow path towards a small stone building. The stones were uneven and weather beaten with moss growing in between the cracks. The building was roofless and hollow with the base of a pole in the middle. Perched atop the pole was the American Flag which flapped in the slight breeze. Kieran immediately headed towards a small flight of concrete stairs. At the top was a door of iron bars with some sort of plaque hanging just above it.

Kieran walked up the stairs then tapped the door with his wand and it swung open. He walked inside and Harry followed on his heels. The inside of the blockhouse was a mixture of stones and bricks. There were two mounts in wall in front of him. Harry looked around wondering where the entrance Kieran spoke of was.

"The place we're going is underground. This is the blockhouse entrance but most people don't use it anymore. In order to get in we have to jump" Kieran said, answering Harry's questioning look.

Harry looked at him in disbelief sure that Kieran was joking. He had seen his fair share of weird entrances, but he had never heard of an entrance he had to jump on. He was surprised to see that the older boy looked quite serious. With a shrug, Harry started jumping up and down, feeling very foolish as he did so. He wondered what the muggles would think if they saw him.

"Not like that." Kieran said as he motioned for Harry to stop.

"What?" asked Harry confused.

"Probably should have told you this first but have to jump using only one leg" Kieran explained.

"You're not serious?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately I am that's the reason nobody uses this entrance. The man who created this particular entrance only had one leg. It's bloody inconvenient" Kieran said with a grimace.

Harry frowned. He pulled his right leg up and started jumping with his left leg. After the third jump he felt a jerking sensation behind his navel similar to a portkey. He landed with a thump and ended up sprawled on his back. He was glad to see that Kieran was not in a much better position. He had landed with on one leg then toppled over sideways. Harry stood and dusted himself off. Kieran walked over after doing the same.

"Welcome to Cynosure Cavern" Kieran announced, gesturing to the area around them.

Harry felt his jaw drop as he looked around. They were standing on a circle path between two cobbled alleys lined with numerous shops. The alley to his left sported a sign that read Peculiar Path while the one on his right read Stewrate Lane. The shops on Peculiar Path were more colorful than those on Stewrate Lane. He could also see several colorful puffs of smoke being emitted from a shop called Sky's Delights. Next to that was Kyle's Rare and Exotic Pets where several trumpets, squawks, and growls could be heard. He could also hear some explosions coming from further down. Before he could continue looking Kieran started dragging him down Stewrate Lane.

The shops on Stewrate Lane while less dynamic than those on Peculiar Path were still very interesting. There was Abe's Apothecary, Quality Quodpot & Quidditch, Smith's Sweets, Vincenzo's Volumes and several others (though Kieran had to drag him away from the quidditch store). They ended at a four-way intersection then Kieran turned to the right. Harry saw a brass plaque that read: Ministry Mile. Underneath the sign was a large fountain much like the one he had seen in the Ministry of Magic. Though the statue was different; in the center was a wizard wearing a cloak with a high collar held up by a large clasp, a tunic and trousers. There was lightning spilling from between his fingers. And he was posed in a manner that made him look as if he was about to head into battle. Overall it was quite a handsome looking statue, in Harry's opinion it was a good deal better than the other Ministry fountains he had seen.*

"They built this entire place under Central Park?" asked Harry.

"Actually it's more like Central Park was built over it. Cynosure Cavern was here first. It was built by a wizard named Rowland Cynosure. It's believed he had some dwarf blood which is why he chose to build underground." explained Kieran.

"So how long has this place been here?" asked Harry.

"Since the 1600s I believe. Though it expanded a lot over the years, originally this place was about a quarter of this size. It's about 6400 acres now. Anyway as this place got bigger and more witches and wizards came they had to develop a better way to get in. That was actually the reason Central Park was built. There actually a book on the history of Cynosure Cavern if you're interested." said Kieran.

"Is it as big as Hogwarts: A History?" asked Harry dryly.

"It depends what edition you get most people just go for the abbreviated one. I'll show you around a bit later, after all we don't want to be late for the Minister" Kieran said as he led Harry into an imperious looking building.

The building was shale grey supported by two marble columns on each side with two large griffin statues guarding the entrance. The griffins watched Harry and Kieran impassively as their tails twitched slightly. The door was also quite impressive, a large mahogany piece with intricate rune carvings along the rounded top and a polished brass doorknob. Kieran pulled the door open and walked in. Harry followed then looked around and saw that the building was just as imperious on the inside. The walls were a soft cream color lined with several haughty looking portraits. Several important looking artifacts stood in glass cases guarded by polished suits of armor. The tiles were a posh peach with a rune carving in the center.

They walked over to a receptionist desk which as being operated by a girl only a few years older than Harry. She looked up from the notes she was taking and smiled at them. Harry was glad to see that she hadn't recognized him. Perhaps he wasn't as famous as Kieran thought. Then he remembered his scar was covered up. And his glasses were now square-framed with an enchantment that made his eyes look blue green instead of his usual distinct emerald green. Well at least he wasn't recognizable at any rate.

"Hello, are you here for a meeting?" she asked.

"Yes, Summers for the Maple Room" Kieran replied easily.

"Of course right this way." she said standing up walking down a short hallway that led to a set of lifts. She led them towards the one on the right and they started moving down. They arrived on a floor that looked almost exactly like the one they had just left. The secretary led them down the hallway, to the right, and down a flight of stairs to a nondescript wood door. Beside it was a sign that read Meeting Room 3. Kieran shot her a grateful smile and she giggled before heading back towards the lifts.

"Well let's go in" Kieran said.

Harry nodded and opened the door. Inside was a plush room with enough room to fit at least thirty more people. There was a Victorian style maple desk in the corner set across from a stone fireplace with a large maple mantelpiece. The room was a stylish blue with cream and amber accents. Neo was sitting behind the large Victorian desk there was an oak seat in front of the desk.

"Hello sir" Kieran said politely, his voice bland.

"Ah hello Summers thank you for escorting Harry we should be done in just a few minutes" Neo said.

"I'll see you in a bit Harry" Kieran said turning to Harry before he left. He was out of the door seconds later and Harry felt a bit disappointed that he hadn't stayed. He really didn't want to face the Minister on his own.

"Hello Minister" Harry said coolly.

"Hello Harry I do hope that you've started to settle in." said Neo.

"Well enough" said Harry.

"Excellent. Now I thought it would be wise to establish a line of contact in case of emergency. I have asked Mr. Summers who agreed to act as a go between for the Ministry" Neo said.

"You mean spy on me?" Harry asked cordially, though inwardly he felt a knife twist in his gut. He liked Kieran and it was upsetting to learn that the older boy was working for the Ministry.

"Also nobody knows that you are here so try to keep a low profile. I can't ban you from exploring any magical areas. I advise that you use a different name when you do venture into any wizarding areas." Neo said, ignoring Harry's question.

"I also trust that you will behave yourself and keep from doing magic in front of muggles" said Neo.

"Now I understand that there are a few things that you did not know about New York" Neo said but Harry interrupted as he felt his temper flare to life.

"Yes there are several things I don't understand for example why you decided to send me to the Avengers? They aren't even normal muggles!" Harry shouted his frustration peaking rapidly. He saw a few vases and other small objects start vibrating and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Exactly which is why you'll be safe with them. As long as you don't go looking for any trouble you should be perfectly fine" Neo said.

"I don't go looking for trouble" Harry said shortly, feeling a stab of annoyance at Neo's words.

"Be that as it may there are several others who are looking for you. I was considering having you enrolled in a muggle school. You are after all sixteen and should be in high school. However I've had a volunteer to be your tutor in magical and muggle subjects. He will be arriving in about a week." Neo said

"I don't need a tutor" said Harry.

"Would you prefer high school then? And what about your NEWTs?" Neo asked calmly, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

"Fine" answered Harry reluctantly.

"A tutor it is then. Also there have been some rumors lately" Neo said.

"On what?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, according to our reports she is trying to gather an army." Neo said, eyeing Harry warily as he did so.

Harry stiffened at the words. Bellatrix Lestrange was in some ways worse than Voldemort had been. She was absolutely insane with little regard towards life and she greatly enjoyed torturing everyone in her path. This was also the woman who killed Sirius Black, was responsible for the collapse of Hogwarts, and several hundred deaths. The next moment everything made of glass shattered. If she was trying to gather an army he had no doubt she was up to something terrible. He had to stop her. She shouldn't be allowed to cause any more destruction.

"Where is she?" asked Harry.

"We don't know she's been keeping on the move. You can't go after her Harry you'd be severely outnumbered" Neo said.

"You don't know that" Harry snapped.

"Not with certainty but it is believed she is being helped by the surviving members of the inner circle except Lucius Malfoy" Neo said.

"So if I don't stop her she'll just keep killing people" said Harry fuming.

"Well if you do try to stop her she'll kill you. Plus any aurors that I send after you" said Neo.

"Fine" Harry said.

"Good now I have another appointment soon. You may leave" said Neo.

Harry did so gladly, slamming the door shut on his way out. He glanced at his watch and realized that he had only been talking to Neo for a little over twenty minutes. It had felt a good deal longer than that. He looked around and saw no one else in sight so he headed towards the lifts. He used the same one he came down on earlier. The lift arrived back at the main floor and Harry walked down the hall. He glanced over at the reception desk and saw Kieran flirting with the receptionist. Harry continued walking out of the building.

"Hey wait up!" Kieran cried from behind him. Harry was tempted to ignore him and keep walking but decided against it. He slowed down enough for Kieran to catch up to him easily before he started walking again.

"Bad new?" asked Kieran as he caught up to Harry.

Harry stayed silent.

"Come on, I know what'll cheer you up" Kieran said. He walked back the way they came and a few minutes later they were standing in front of Quality Quodpot & Quidditch. Harry grinned. He hadn't been to a Quidditch shop in ages. He decided to see what broom models they had. He saw that they had the standard Clean Sweeps, Nimbus, Comets, and Firebolts. They also had Alto Stratus and Apollos which Harry assumed were American brooms.

"Harry I'm going to head over to Vincenzo's Volumes. I'll be right back" said Kieran. Harry turned his attention from the Alto Stratus he was examining to Kieran. He gave Kieran a small nod.

He fingered the mokeskin pouch around his neck. It was where he kept his Firebolt. As it had a lot of sentimental value to him because it was one of the only things he had from Sirius. He'd had the broom for a few years now and it still worked like new, but perhaps it would be a good idea to get a spare. He was debating getting a second broom when he heard someone approach him from behind. His wand was in his hand in an instant. He spun around quickly ready to cast a stunner when he realized it was Kieran.

"Relax, it's just me" Kieran said looking slightly alarmed at the wand in his face.

"Sorry reflexes" said Harry quickly. He put his wand back in its holster and tried to calm his racing heart. He was glad that he hadn't accidentally cursed Kieran. Then he remembered that Kieran was spying on him for the Ministry and felt less guilty.

"It's all right I probably shouldn't have startled you. Anyway I got you something." Kieran said. He tossed a book at Harry who caught it easily. "It's _A Guide to Wizarding New York_ by Siam Moon, the self-updating version. I thought it might come in Handy. It even has a section on Cynosure Caverns."

"Thanks." said Harry awkwardly.

"What did the Minister tell you? I know it might not be any of my business but ever since that meeting you've been looking at me like I've grown a second head" said Kieran.

"Are you working for the Ministry?" asked Harry. He saw understanding flash in Kieran's eyes.

"No. I'm working _with_ the Ministry. Not for them." said Kieran, emphasizing with.

"Oh" said Harry.

"It's all right I imagine you have more reason than anybody to distrust the Ministry. I'm still not too happy with them myself" Kieran said with a rueful grin.

Harry didn't know what to say to that so he didn't say anything. He was a bit curious as to why Kieran distrusted the Ministry but he wasn't going to ask. It wasn't any of his business. And he saw that this was obviously a painful topic for Kieran. He knew that over the past year the Ministry had done several untrustworthy things. Harry had a litany of senseless things the Ministry had done over the years.

"Well I have to leave in about an hour so how about I show you how to leave. You can come back later and explore though I suggest you read the book first. Wizards have been known to get lost for years in some of these places." Kieran said cheerfully.

"Really?" asked Harry.

"Yep, they'll be looking for the nearest taxi and step into a sinkhole, never to be heard from again." replied Kieran.

Harry wasn't sure if Kieran was joking or not and decided not to question that one. He really didn't want to know. He decided to simply make the best of his time. He would read the guide book thoroughly before coming back. He really didn't want to get lost, since getting lost in the wizarding world was usually hazardous. Something he knew very well from his previous experiences.

* * *

_**Neo POV (a few minutes after Harry leaves)**_

Neo flicked his wand and repaired all the shattered vases. He then continued to stare at the fire as he thought over the situation. It was obvious that Harry was still recovering from the war. Neo knew it would take time for the boy to truly recover unfortunately it looked as if time was luxury they may not have. With several Death Eaters still on the loose and gathering new followers the threat of a new war loomed on the horizon. He was just glad that the boy hadn't thought to ask more about the Death Eaters. He didn't want Harry to know that they were in the US just yet. There were still a few things that needed to be done before that happened. He was startled from his thoughts when someone walked into the room.

"Thank you for meeting me Fury, I know that your schedule is quite tight" Neo said, turning to the new entrant.

"So that was Potter?" Fury asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid he's a bit annoyed with me" said Neo.

"Yes, I heard how you managed to coerce him into vacation. It sounded like a heavy-handed method" remarked Fury.

"You've been talking to Dawn. Yes well I'll concede that I may have pushed a bit harder than I should have but it was for the best. It would have taken a good deal longer if I had done it any other way. The boy is very stubborn" said Neo.

"I've heard. How much does he know?" asked Fury.

"Almost nothing" replied Neo.

"You sent him in with no information?" asked Fury.

"Well I considered it but he was already balking, I knew that if I told him anything he would have jumped ship as they say. Besides this way they are all on equal footing and Harry can get to know your team without any preformed biases" Neo said.

"They are going to be suspicious when he doesn't know anything though" Fury said.

"True, this is why I have hired a tutor for Mr. Potter. He will be arriving in a week" Neo said.

"I'll make the arrangements. Do you plan to inform the team of your world?" Fury asked.

"Not just yet, and I would appreciate if you didn't yet either." Neo said.

"Fine. I will be telling them soon if things start getting too out of hand." Fury stated firmly.

"How did you manage to get the Avengers to watch him? From what you've told me none of them are really the childrearing type." queried Neo.

"They believe it was the council's decision." Fury replied.

"I am part of a counsel just not the one they probably assumed you were speaking of. I'm glad you managed it they will be good for Harry and I suspect he will have an equal effect on them" Neo said.

"Yes. Also I have a few reports on my desk that I believe some of your people are responsible for" Fury said.

"Ah yes it seem the lovely Mrs. Lestrange and her entourage have decided to take up arms in America. Don't worry I'm sending some of my men to help America's branch of the Ministry. Also I suspect that my secretary will be sending in her own form of help" Neo said. He was quite certain that Dawn was planning something. He would be ready, and when she made her move he counter.

"If things start getting out of hand my people will be getting involved I don't need any civilians getting caught in the crossfire on this one" Fury stated brusquely.

"I would ask for nothing less. This is your house after all" Neo said agreeably.

"Of course I have to get back. You know how to reach me if it's necessary" Fury said before walking out.

* * *

_**Dawn POV**_

Dawn was in her home office when the phone rang. She looked at the caller ID pleased to see that it was Arya. She had called him after the disastrous argument she had with Neo. The man thought he had gotten the better of her but not this time. This time she was going to outsmart him. She quickly picked up the phone moving the parchments she had been working on aside.

"Hello" said Dawn.

"Dawn dear darling how are you?" asked Arya teasingly.

Dawn smiled. Arya liked to alliterate her name with two other words. He had started doing this after she introduced him to Wilkie Twycross. Twycross had helped train Arya for his apparition test. Though Dawn held the sneaking suspicion that Arya had already known how to apparated at the time.

"I'm good, how are you? Are you in New York yet?" Dawn asked in response.

"I will be in about a week I managed to sink a tutoring job in the city so I have a convenient reason for being here." Arya said mischievously.

"Who are you tutoring?" asked Dawn.

"Harry Potter, he's staying in New York and needed a tutor" replied Arya smugly.

"How did you manage that? Does Neo know? Does he know that I sent you?" Dawn asked, worried that her plan had already gone up in smoke.

"Friend of a friend, yes Neo knows he's the one that appointed me, and as far as he knows we've never met. Neo doesn't know anything about me though he can try to find out if he likes. I can be as invisible as a ghost when the mood strikes me." Arya answered with a laugh.

"Thank you" Dawn said.

"I should probably be thanking you, I haven't had this much fun in ages plus I've been wanting to visit the big apple again. After all I have a pretty expedient reason to go now." Arya said

"Since when have you ever needed a reason to do anything?" asked Dawn wryly.

"True, but this was a special request from my lady love" said Arya jokingly.

"You make me feel like a cougar" complained Dawn.

"Well you are a right old cradle robber after all I'm less than half your age. But you know what? Old people get to have all the fun. I'll talk to you later delectably divine Dawn" Arya said as he hung up the phone with a click.

Dawn smiled that boy, he was always so amusing. She also knew that Neo would never see it coming either so she was free to leave him hanging. She would let him wait for a move that she would never make because he missed the one she already made. Checkmate.

* * *

_**Fred and George POV**_

Fred was holding a quill while George peeked over his shoulder briefly. George then turned to a box sitting on a wooden table behind Fred. They were writing a letter to Harry. Both were nearly identical twin, their only difference was that George was missing an ear.

"I have the first bit down. Should I mention the extras we've added to his package? Or the separate package?" Fred asked, turning towards his twin.

"Mention it yeah, but don't spoil the surprise. Plus we don't want the Minister to confiscate our surprise" George said.

"True, have you-" started Fred.

"-gotten a hold of Verity?" George finished, "yeah I did, said she'd be glad to run the Diagon Alley branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"How did the dummy file go?" asked George.

"Too easy," Fred said, "you would think it'd be harder to sneak into the Ministry but it's not as fortified as it used to be."

"Well then everything is nearly ready. did you get the permits for our new shop?" asked George.

"Yep, we should be set up soon. We'll be able to leave in a few weeks" said Fred.

"Excellent I'm looking forward to seeing New York" said George.

"I wonder how he'll react to our special gift" mused Fred.

"We should probably rig up a camera so we could get a picture. His expression will be hilarious" said George.

"Okay finished. Anything you want to add?" Fred asked, holding the parchment up to George.

He looked at it then scribbled his name on the bottom and gave the letter back. Fred took the letter and put it in an envelope. He walked over to the snowy owl perched on an empty worktable. She gave an annoyed hoot. Fred bit back a snort. Hedwig still had quite a large attitude though he knew she was probably just impatient to get to Harry. He quickly attached the letter to her leg and she flew off immediately.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Kieran is a canon character he just wasn't mentioned much and was only known by his last name. He is a contemporary of Fred and George so I thought he would have a good sense of humor though.

Cynosure Cavern has been planned for a while I just didn't get to it in the original version. I had some inspiration which led me to develop the idea of a magical area under Central Park further. I second guessed this for a while but I decided that if people don't like it well unless it's a major majority I'm not going to change it. I like the idea of there being a magical shopping district under Central Park. Besides I've already have future chapters planned around it as well as a decent history written up on the place.

*The statue is supposed to be Dr. Strange.

More on Neo, I didn't realize that Neo was a name that came with so many implications. Having never watched the matrix and all religious knowledge being from second to third hand sources. Neo was actually names after a character in a book that I liked as well as Elemental Hero Neos. Honestly if I had known the name came with such a stigma I would have just named him Neal. I had a review that brought it up so I thought it was worth mentioning. Neo I sort of had that planned all along though I have only revealed part of the master plan. Just a hint but like Neo not all things will be as they seem. I wanted Neo to appear as a bastard but never actually be one that was planned from the start though I was going to wait until later to reveal that particular fact. In fact the first version was altered incredibly as he was not supposed to appear so nice. Not to mention Dawn isn't sitting idly by and twiddling her thumbs either (for those of you who don't remember a phone call was mentioned during her argument with Neo). Also I will have a few Easter eggs every now and then see if you can spot them. Some are a tad more obvious others. I may have had too much fun with the alliteration this chapter.

I polished this up a little and tweaked the conversation between Fury and Neo. To prep for the next chapter. I'm not entirely pleased with that section. I had imagined a larger discussion but I couldn't remember it.

**Please Review! Tell me what's on your mind!**


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